Broken World
by OriginalBubble
Summary: In the midst of Terminal City's siege where transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they're supposed to be, and the coming days seem darkest. Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither, believed possible a baby.
1. Revealtion

_Disclaimer__: I OriginalBubble do not claim to own any of the characters of Dark Angel – I only have my interpretation on what __should__ have happened. _

_Summary__: In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

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**(Authors Note - Saturday 15/11/08 – Broken World has been woefully neglected for months, but will receive some serious attention in the coming weeks. If you have been alerted it's because there has been a change made to an existing chapter - I haven't uploaded a new one just yet. But thank you all for waiting on and keeping on this story. Don't worry **_**soon come. **_**O.B)

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**Revelation

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Thunder shook the sky as rain pounded unmercifully onto darkened Seattle streets.

The sky though gloomy was eerily clear, as the moons coveted light shone resolutely onto hazy - broken - post-pulse America.

Max stared at the wriggling creature in horror. Bile rising in her throat and legs shaking as she once more scanned the scrawled message.

Her eyes took in its frail appearance. Noting the many crease and fold marks that adorned it and as though afraid it would crumble at her feet and sift through her hands as fine dust; she hastily placed it on a nearby table. Before turning to stare down at the small downy head nestled in cardboard box at her feet; in the centre of her former apartment.

Warily she skirted around the room, and ignored the clammy feeling on her heated skin as she shrugged on her sodden jacket... with a sharp movement she turned. Rummaging in the nearby drawers for warm clothing...

Minutes later the apartment door slammed shut, and the cardboard box lay sullenly in the centre of the room –

Empty.

Outside **–** Max's ninja roared to life as her lithe form became one with the metal

Expertly she raced through Seattle streets, urgency etched into every pore of her being. One hand commanded the ninja to flow with her while the other clutched at the precious bundle she'd somehow snuggled into the leather that encased her upper body.

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Alec didn't really know what he was expecting when Max walked through the door. Anger? Resentment? Frustration at yet _another_ Logan induced rant? Alec sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

With Terminal City taking up most of their time and energy, little in the outside world seemed as important as they used to be.

One, namely the Manticore designed virus. The catalyst behind the separation of Max and Logan. The cure which Logan **still** blindly searched for. His insistence that Max should at **least **stay as focused on finding the cure as she was doing on running TC... was wearing her down.

No matter what angel she had tried to look at it, Max learnt she had to face up to the reality. Which was, that although she had _'let Logan go' _she still had to face the fact that he was still a constant part of her life… and seemed to always want to be.

When the siege had first started Max had fallen into the leader role, for being the bridge between two worlds - the one to set everybody 'free', but not everyone had accepted or even wanted her leadership.

She was still widely known as _the 09'ner, the deserter_… but her loyalty to _all _Transgenics was unshakable, and having proved this time and time again over the past few months the respect she deserved was slowly trickling in.

The war against irate protesters and the White's sadistic breeding cult still raged on... actually only recently few Transgenics could actually venture out in TC (courtesy of temperature altering devices and of course painful barcode removals).

In fact the assigned 4 hour drop out of their TC, their duties (and to give their temperature altering devices _that final check_.) Was pathetically dwindling for Alec, whom instead of throwing himself head first into a roaring party – to become another nameless careless spirit - was efficiently collecting the rest of his sparse belongings and methodically erasing his presence from the apartment.

… In actual fact he _had_ wanted to lose himself tonight - and was halfway through the door until his cell phone had started to ring…

: - _**Alec**_- :

: - Max? Max what's wrong?!? - :

: - _Just __**stay there**__ alright? I'm on my way._ -:

: - Max!?! - :

: - - :

…so there he sat in what had been Brain's, ancient lumpy sofa. Idly swirling a bottle of vodka… his beloved TV trapped in the head quarters of terminal city... his feet contemplatively propped up on a box.

…As Max's second in command Alec had learnt to look beyond the exterior of the waspish spitfire… _who seems to burn __**me**__ on every occasion_, to the equally emotional woman who lay beneath it… always holding others at a figurative arms length - if not to protect _them_ from pain but to protect _herself_.

Their relationship had shifted from antagonists, to reluctant allies and then to hesitant confidants. _We don't even need words, _he mused. _I could understand Max with an irritable flick of a slender wrist_…

Suddenly irritable himself, Alec found himself sauntering into the small kitchenette, only to stare abstractly at the steaming Styrofoam cups which sat waiting on the counter --

His eyes sparkled dangerously and his mouth began to twist into a beautifully sardonic smile as the door was flung wide open

The words on Alec's tongue shrivelled up and died.

Max stood the doorway completely drenched. Her eyes wide and disbelieving as her body shook from an unseen strain.

"Max?" he choked out unsure of what to do.

He was halfway across the room to her before she even managed to get a big enough hold of herself and close the door. Seemingly exhausted her head drifted down to lean back against the door. Alec cautiously ventured forward a few feet, only to stop short at the sofa... a safe enough distance to study her without being exposed to whatever volatile mood she had gotten herself into... _again_.

After a calming breath she turned to face him, her eyes which to Alec had always seemed so…_ hypnotisingly calm_. Were hectic as they searched his own.

Slowly, she placed both hands on the front of her jacket… which he had belatedly realised - was unusually bulgy. He watched in aloof fascination as she slowly unzipped her jacket…

His mouth dropped open as she removed a tiny sleeping baby… but amazement soon gave way to wordless horror as her eyes began to water.

"Alec it's…" she whispered. Dark eyes colliding once again with speckled green.

Probing, questioning, and _damn it_ nervously. She broke eye contact, a sheen of tears held at bay.

She awkwardly held the sleeping child to her. One small hand cradling its body while the other rested upon its downy head.

He stared expectantly at her, and with one word, she floored him.

"…ours".

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_In the next chapter…_

_~The Manticore mask had slipped onto his face… and, unconsciously she stiffened as well - slipping into the role of a solider, devoid of emotion, deflecting pain…:: This is prototype 946 a combination of the DNA of the rouge 452 and the CO of Unit Three 494… it is one of the few prototypes developed after the main DNA lab was destroyed… All creatures given life deserve the right to be able to live free from cages, free from captivity. ~  
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	2. 946

_Disclaimer__: I OriginalBubble do not claim to own any of the characters of Dark Angel – I only have my interpretation on what __should__ have happened. _

_Summary__: In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

_In the previous scene: __ Expertly she raced through Seattle streets urgency etched into every pore of her being… Alec's mouth dropped open as she held a tiny sleeping baby… but amazement soon turned to horror as her eyes began to water… __"Alec it's…" she whispered, __dark eyes collided once again with speckled green - probing, questioning, and __**damn it **__nervously... one of her small hands cradled its body while the other rested upon its downy head. He stared at her expectantly, and with one word she floored him: "…ours"._

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**AN – 16/11.08 - Continuing with the 'Broken World' facelift, content wholly the same getting rid of irksome clichés/mistakes/what was I thinkings? If you notice anything please point it out, it would be greatly appreciated. OB.**

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**946**

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Max watched him stiffen as she searched his cloudy eyes…

The past months had brought the reserve between them down, to a point where speech was not even necessary. Answers had been so easily sought in the depths of Alec's green and hazel gaze... but for the first in a very long time. She couldn't read them.

The Manticore mask had slipped onto his face, as he tried to take in the implications of those words. Cutting her off.

She hated it.

Unconsciously stiffening as well, she unintentionally slipped into the role of a solider... her face devoid of emotion, deflecting pain.

They stared at each other with the same blank eyes until an almost inaudible whimper drew both their attention, the baby in Max's arms had started to stir.

Staring at it suspiciously Alec retreated to the kitchenette while Max cautiously moved further into the apartment, sinking into the sofa.

She blinked when a still steaming cup was placed before her.

Shifting the baby she reached into a pocket and produced a note. Silently she handed it to Alec.

_Experiment X5-452. Any attempts to trace me will be futile. By the time you would have finished this message I will no longer be within the United States. My identity is of no consequence. This is prototype 946 a combination of the DNA of the rouge 452 and the CO of Unit Three 494 - your former breeding partner. I participated in the creation of this experiment which took place in another Manticore base. It is one of the few prototypes developed after the main DNA lab was destroyed. The project was then moved to the Seattle base and was to be relocated once more… but as you know that time never came. What happened after the base went down is now irrelevant. The age of your offspring is approximately three months. DNA samples will dispel any doubts you may have, but you will only be wasting valuable time and I gather resources, - it will only verify what has been confirmed to you already. _

_All creatures given life deserve the right to be able to live free from cages, _

_Free from captivity._

Alec stared in disbelief at the scrawled writing… _but…they'd destroyed the DNA lab hadn't they? _

Glancing down at Max he saw her chewing her bottom lip, her velvety gaze on the worn piece of paper, willing more information to appear on it.

"Where did you find this?" He asked abruptly.

Startled out of her thoughts mocha coloured eyes turned to him, taking in what his own were asking.

A logical way out of the madness they had found themselves engulfed in…

_What kind of tactic is this?_ She read in his eyes: _another way of disorientating your enemies? _

_This could be just another trap._

She read lastly in his eyes taking in the hardness that had settled there. "In the hemming of the blanket" she answered.

"How did you… where did you find…" he trailed off staring oddly at the bundle wrapped in her old clothes.

"I walked into the apartment and found a box in the centre of the room… a cardboard box…." she trailed off in amazement,

"I checked all the entry points. Doors, windows, fire escape, vents… nothing had been disturbed, as if it were perfectly normal to walk into somebody's house and leave a… baby." She said lastly, clearing the hysteria that was forming in her throat.

Max watched his lithe body pace in agitation and waited until his stormy eyes rested on her once again.

"Do you have anything to wear?" He asked in the same abrupt tone, throwing her for a minute but before an automatic snappy retort could form on her beautiful lips he waved off the answer to disappear into the bedroom. Emerging a few minutes later with some worn looking clothes. He held them out to her and watched as she debated how to best put them on while holding a baby. He suddenly leaned over and surprised them both by gently taking the surprisingly warm and dry bundle from her cold clammy hands; she briefly looked up at him before busying herself with the clothes.

Longer than the size of A4 sheet of paper, the baby was held against Alec's chest. Its body heat seeping through the leather of his jacket. Soft lungfuls of air fanned across the side of his neck while its delicate smell rose to tickle his nostrils. So absorbed was he that he didn't even realise that Max had finished changing, had risen and was watching them with a curious expression on her face.

Pressing the baby back into her hands he walked to the front door. His hand stilled on the handle as he turned to glance at the scene behind him. Max held the baby – in a less awkward position - on her shoulder, his faded black jumper and jeans practically hung off of her while her hair dried in unruly curls around her face. Her soft lips were puckered in thought and her eyes seemed, if possible, larger and darker than before. They were pleading with him for… something.

Alec looked away at this disheartening image of Max looking as young and as vulnerable as she appeared to be…

"I'll be back soon" he murmured his eyes searching hers, taking in the exhaustion he read in them

"Try to get some sleep," he said shrugging, knowing that she would only probably ignore him anyway.

Glancing back at the box next to the sofa, some of the sparkle awakened in his amazing eyes, tired, but definitely present.

"Have a drink." He said in a quiet voice, before disappeared out of the door.

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A puzzled shadowy figure stood in the centre of Max's old apartment.

The room had been methodically pulled apart and rearranged without a pen lid being misplaced... but he was still stumped.

The silence grated on his nerves.

Alec slammed a fist into the nearest wall. Defeated he allowed himself slide down it. Head resting on crossed arms he let out the smallest of moans.

_Christ._

_Christ a baby! _

_Those fucking bastards. Wasn't it enough to break, torture and try to take their humanity?!?_ His inner voice snarled_ did those sadistic norms have to drag yet another person into their nightmare that was their lives? With practically no future how the hell are we supposed to look after… this… kid? _

"**My child**" he said out loud, with a tentative mixture of wonder and dread.

"**Mine and -**" he attempts slowly but breaks off, distracted by a faint noise…

"Max?!? Where you at boo?" OC calls out sluggishly entering the apartment and taking in its emptiness. "Guess home girl had to bounce" she said hesitantly closing the front door "But OC just wishes she had said a proper goodbye" she ended tragically - leaving the empty living room and making her way to her bedroom.

Two soft clicks can be heard as a shadow fades from the apartment.

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_In the next chapter:_

_~ Dully he realised that his presence didn't threaten Max into waking up... he took in her honeyed skin and the dark contrast her lashes made against it… from his position he could clearly see identically dark lashes clinging to the baby's eyes… and, he felt something stirring within him… __**fear? Protectiveness? **__ ~ …the sentence '__**we have a son,**__' vibrated within both their mind …No! Alec thought, this weird situation is getting the best of me, this is__** not **__my kid, this is not __**our**__ kid, and we are __**not **__a unit! ~_


	3. Hot Chocolate

_Disclaimer__: I OriginalBubble do not claim to own any of the characters of Dark Angel – I only have my interpretation about what __should__ have happened. _

_Summary__: In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

_In the previous scene:~The Manticore mask had slipped onto his face… and, unconsciously she stiffened as well - slipping into the role of a solider, devoid of emotion, deflecting pain…:: This is prototype 946 a combination of the DNA of the rouge 452 and the CO of Unit Three 494… it is one of the few prototypes developed after the main DNA lab was destroyed… All creatures given life deserve the right to be able to live free from cages, free from captivity. ~_

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**Hot Chocolate**

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Max resolutely made her way to Alec's old room. The muskiness had not invaded this room as it had the rest of the apartment… actually it just so happened to be cleaner and slightly warmer than the other rooms…

She experimentally sat on the bed. _Good mattress_ she thought, bouncing lightly to test it out, an impish smile covering her face as she recalled a certain incident involving supplies from the black market at TC...

*_Max lay comfortably on her new mattress and imagined she was floating… she strained to hear the gentle pounding of the waves on the distant sand…or rather tried to ignore the not so distant or gentle pounding of Alec's fists against her door, screaming bloody murder and warning her that 'revenge is a dish best served cold' and that 'mattress thieves have a special place in hell…just for them' _

_Max had simply turned over and purred contentedly. An Alec-like smirk plastering itself on her face as the pounding faltered for a minute… only to be resumed in full force…along with new taunts being __**sung**__ at her through the door… *_

The smile on Max's face dulls a little in her search for pillows.

Finding some; she places them in a box shape at the head of the bed… she vaguely remembered from a conversation with Gem - a transgenic mother that babies liked to roll, a lot. She gently deposits the baby into the centre of the pillow barricade and backs out of the room.

She sinks into the sofa, _blue lady, a baby... __**My baby**__ is sleeping in the other room. __**Mine and –**_ Max shakes off her thoughts as her mind registers the alluring aroma of hot chocolate… which was very rare to come by these days.

She also remembered when, in one of his rare moments of empathy the cocky and arrogant Alec had stumbled across her contemplating life in her office.

'_If we had birthdays, do you think they would be celebrated?' he said suddenly. _

_Max's mouth hung open as twinkling eyes surveyed her - but before she could form an answer he cut in, purring seductively:_

'_What would __**you **__like for your birthday Max?' he added with an inane smirk forming on his lips; she was about to give him a scratching comeback before seeing the earnest look in his eyes and stopped. So she actually __**thought**__ about the answer._

'_Hot chocolate' she said softly after a few minutes of thought as she relived her first experience of the frothy drink * … it was three years after her escape from Manticore and she had been doing a few odd jobs for an old man in a run down café... although his hygiene was questionable his kindness was not; the first time he had met Max he had discreetly slid a steaming drink in her direction. She had stared at him with an unreadable expression before shoving it back at him. A reaction to which he only shrugged and moved away... but after a few minutes of staring between the man and the drink, Max slyly drew it closer to her. Glancing around and sniffing at it, before slowly drawing it to her mouth. Her taste buds had sang as the sweet and warming liquid made its way down her throat… but sensing something she'd whipped her head round to see the old man watching her with an unusual expression of unconcealed glee on. She glared fiercely before disappearing._

_The next time she'd appeared at the café another steaming cup of chocolate was waiting for her, but this time it came with a note attached: 'if you're going to be drinking my chocolate you might as well pay for it. I have a delivery job going, salary is a hot chocolate and ten bucks per job, take it or leave it. Or leave the hot chocolate alone!'_

_Thinking back it was incredible luck for the pixie-like child with a mop of curls, dressed in the huge overalls, shirt and cap she had __**borrowed**__ from a __**generous **__**benefactor**__… *_

_Lost in the memory Max could not guard her expression, or prevent a soft smile from curling onto her lips; she looked up just in time to see the satisfied answering smirk on Alec's lips and his eyes sparkle once again. But before she could question him about it, Alec was sauntering out of her office and with a 'Later Maxie' he was gone, leaving Max to piles of paper work that had suddenly appeared on her desk out of 'nowhere'…_

_Her shrieking could be heard from half way across TC._

The hot chocolate was now long finished and Max stared longingly at the other which sat on the counter. Deciding to ignore the tempting smell, she made her way into the bedroom.

Fatigue from weeks of no sleep - although she hardly needed any - had begun to catch up on her. Removing one of the pillows that lay on the side of the baby Max cautiously lay down to replace it. Her eyes began to droop and her body relax as she reached out a tentative hand to stroke the baby's silken curls…

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It was a little after twelve and the moon had already disappeared.

Alec wandered into the main room to find it empty. Max's jeans and jacket drying on a wooden chair, and the box with an empty Styrofoam cup on top of it.

Alec lowered the baby's cardboard box to the floor and after a brief moment's hesitation he also resolutely makes his way to the bedroom but finds himself totally unprepared for the sight that greets him. Just as the last glimpse of Max had left him shaken, this was also an equally arresting sight…

Max lay on the side of a little barricade around the baby, her wavy chestnut curls spread in an arc about her. His clothes on her twisted and clinging to every… curve, on her body – she held out a hand to rest protectively on the baby's chest.

Cautiously, Alec made his way to the other side of the bed. Dully he realises that his presence did not threaten Max into waking up. He took in the soft crease in Max's forehead as her bee stung lips muttered softly…he took in her honey golden skin and the dark contrast her lashes made against it…. From his position he could clearly see the identically dark lashes clinging to the baby's eyes… and he felt something stir within him… _fear? Protectiveness?_ He shook off the disturbing thoughts… or rather emotions.

"Max," he whispered, and just like that, her eyes flew open to meet his.

"Alec…." she sat up, attempting to get off the bed only to stop, when Alec sits on the other side. She turned to find him staring down at the baby with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Max" he said, his voice strained "what are we going to do?"

"I…" she stopped in motion, "…I don't know Alec." She whispered before a sudden whimpering caused them both to stiffen in panic.

Max watched incredulously as Alec laid a gentle hand on the sleeping baby, rubbing in soothing circular motions… she moves further up the bed to look down at it as well…

A sparse layer of dark curls adorned the baby's head. It had pale honeyed skin and dark curling lashes, a tiny nose and two pink little rosebud lips. Its fists were softly curled at each side of its head.

They both watched in fascination as the little creature opened its mouth in a yawn before stretching its limbs in a cat like fashion. Small eyes fluttered open… and Max stifled a gasp. She stared at the being that had so much of her inside of it.

Her hair, mouth, skin… but its eyes… although in similar shape to her own, they screamed out: _**ALEC'S**_! …Only a shade or two lighter than his own speckled hazel and green eyes gazed up at them - then fluttered downwards once again as sleep claimed them.

The two remained silent for quite some time.

"Max, we need to get out of here, and back to TC we've got under an hour" Alec started

"We can't go through the sewers" she stated in disgust.

"We could try the tunnels" he offered and watched as Max stiffened at the thought of navigating themselves _plus_ a baby in the low narrow tunnels to get to terminal city. "It's safer than trying to go through an angry drunken mob." He added dryly.

"_Damn_, there goes my chance for a bit of fun tonight" Max tried, offering up a weak smile.

"Tell me about it." He answers with a weak smile of his own, watching as Max's fades from her face. "Maybe… we should check for a barcode" he says quietly.

The baby, who had been turning, now lay on its back.

Max shifted the neck of the grey sleeper downwards and moved aside the silken curls... exposing the barcode that lay beneath. It glared cruelly up at them, a stark contrast to the soft skin it lay above, and a sickening reminder that this baby would never truly be free either. Max moved a finger tenderly above the barcode as the baby shifted again. _At least they could take it to TC without worrying that…_

"We need to get out of here" she murmured, but Alec's gaze was still on the child.

"Alec!" she snapped, _I don't like this situation… I'm not in control…_

"… Is it a girl or a boy?" he asked, watching the tiny lips curl into a watery smile, which disappeared almost as instantly as it had appeared.

"I… hadn't checked" Max answered somewhat dazed. She lifted the baby onto her lap and gently removed the clothes she had wrapped it in and the greyish sleeper the baby had been found in.

"…it's a boy." She murmured.

The sentence '_**we have a son,**_' vibrating within both their minds.

_No! _Alec thought - _this weird situation is getting the best of me. This is not my kid, this is not __**our**__ kid, and we are __**not **__a unit… _

Abruptly getting up Alec went back into the other room to gather their belongings together, while Max quickly redressed the baby. He surprises her again when he awkwardly takes the baby into the other room to give her privacy to change.

She emerges a few minutes later dressed in her figure hugging jeans, tank top and snug leather jacket, Alec's folded clothes in her delicate looking hands.

She studies the pair for a moment before Alec turns and notices her.

"It's stopped raining." He jokes, catching her strained look "…the tunnels are the safest way" he stressed, "your bike is out; we need to be together, if you're attacked or chased…" _You can't fight._

"I know" she answered quietly, putting on her gloves before taking the baby from his arms.

"I know some people; they'll take care of your bike no problem." He says while taking out the slim cell phone.

"Ready?" he says after a few minutes, picking up the boxes.

She flashes him a small smile "As I'll ever be." She replies before they disappear from the apartment.

The clubs had finished leaving another wave of people to flood onto darkened streets. The young couple with a baby, holding boxes and quickly walking past in the dead of night were steadily ignored. These days it was dangerous to get involved in other peoples business', nothing was worth the risk… _they were probably __**only**__ evicted anyway._

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_In the next chapter:_

_~…She had no idea where all this sudden emotion was coming from, and was… __**disturbed**__ by it, to say the least... Alec was being… totally… reasonable. __**What was wrong with her?**_

_~The silence the room was heavy and consuming and they didn't know how long they continued to sit there and stare unseeingly at her ceiling, until sleep came to claim both their troubled minds… ~_

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(A/N: I'm not American, and I **will** use UK spelling. We say: nappies not diapers and biscuits instead of that disgusting general 'cookie'... but I don't want to start ranting – so for the sake of the story I'll try to keep things as they would be said – keep people in character and as close to the series as I can bare. SO OB over and out. **Revised 16/11/08)**


	4. The Long Day

_Disclaimer__: I OriginalBubble do not claim to own any of the characters of Dark Angel – I only have my interpretation about what __should__ have happened.

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_Summary__: In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby.

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_

_In the previous scene: ~ Dully he realised that his presence didn't threaten Max into waking up...taking in the dark contrast her lashes made against her honeyed skin and... and the identically dark lashes clinging to the baby's eyes… He felt something stirring within him… __**fear? Protectiveness? **__ ~ …No! He thought. This weird situation is getting the best of me, this is__** not **__my kid, this is not __**our**__ kid, and we are __**not **__a unit! ~_

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**The Long Day**

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…05:04…

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Exhausted they stumbled into Max's apartment.

Wearily Max bypasses her couch and heads straight to her bedroom.

Putting the boxes into the corner of the room, Alec frowned, dreading the thought of going back to his cold apartment. He was feeling so worn out, and nothing looked more appealing right now than Max's soft, comfy, alluring sofa… stifling a groan he wanders into her bedroom noting she had already placed the baby in the middle of the bed and surrounded it with mismatched pillows.

He looked dubiously down at them. "I heard babies like to roll." She shrugged catching his look.

Alec said nothing as she went on to close the curtains, its light shining directly onto the bed… with the light source cut off - the room was plunged into a sudden darkness.

"We need to get a DNA sample" he said quietly, leaning back against the doorframe.

The night not being an issue for either of them, as he stared at Max's face, waiting for the inventible reaction… he was soon rewarded when she stiffened ever so slightly and her features slowly became thunderous.

"What?" Alec murmured watching her from lowered lashes.

"Better to be safe than sorry." He added casually... but taking in the fire that had suddenly leapt into her eyes he unconsciously shifted into a more defensive position.

"And what the _fuck_ does that mean?" she hissed on a furious whisper, eyes flashing. "Ok, so what if by some _fucked up_ coincidence that the baby _isn't_ ours? _What then_ Alec? _Shrug it off_? _Walk away_? Shove that little baby onto somebody else? Newsflash Alec _we're all it has_!" she ended, gesturing wildly, her voice rising dangerously...

She had _no idea where all this sudden emotion was coming from, and was… __**disturbed**__ by it to say the least... Alec was being… totally… reasonable. __**What was wrong with her?**_

Meanwhile Alec, taking one look at the sleeping baby, and then the fine tremors that were running through Max. Grabbed an arm and deftly yanked her out of the room - knowing a tirade wasn't far behind them.

"_Damn it_ Max! I didn't…" he bit out, shaking his head in frustration as his eyes clouded over in annoyance

"_You_ are the leader of Terminal City. AKA transgenic central, and _I_ am you second in command. If we're not planning recon missions, we're in other meetings, or on the field... and we still, hardly ever see each other!" He said suddenly slumping onto her sofa.

"How can we bring a kid into this mess when there's even the _slightest _chance that it could belong to _other_ Transgenic's who could give it… you know, a _half _decent life? Like ones who _aren't_ _known and hunted_?" he ended sarcastically, eyes cast upwards, mouth in a grim line. Hiding the thoughts that had betrayed him in the abrupt little speech behind the well worn guise of annoyance.

Max silently sat beside him, bringing her feet up to tuck them beside her. "Alec." She started hesitantly "I'm not pretending to have all of the answers but …" she glanced back to the bedroom

_I feel… connected with him. _

_I know it's irrational… _

_Crazy even, but… don't you? _

Max glanced up at him."When he opened his eyes, I was looking at _you_."

_Although there's a possibility of more clones out there, _they both thought dryly of the impossible.

_But none of them could ever have __**your**__ eyes _she added silently.

"I don't know _what_ will happen. Yeah, there's now _another _person who'll have to depend on us for the time being… and I don't even know if I'll still be _alive_ next week," she paused, clearing her throat "but we can't leave it - for now… he deserves that much."

The silence the room is heavy and consuming. They didn't know how long they continued to sit there and stare unseeingly at her ceiling, until sleep came to claim both their troubled minds.

* * *

…07:04…

* * *

Alec awakened to find a soft body curled up beside his and a familiar scent surrounding him, a small hand against his chest and another gently cupping his face... their legs tangled together.

He peers down at Max, whose face is serene as she sleeps onwards. He debates the best way of detaching her when he belatedly realises that she is not the only one holding on. One of his arms is protectively wrapped around her slender waist while the other is resting in her wavy hair.

He stares disbelievingly at the offending appendages before experimentally shifting, and freezes, as suddenly realising that they are closer than he had first anticipated.

Hot white heat burns through him, as he closes his eyes to the feel of Max pressed up so intimately against him. Praying silently to whatever god or deity will hear him he slowly detangles himself from Max…

Breathing a sigh of relief Alec looks down at Max who had burrowed closer to the heat and space he had just vacated, that nameless emotion he had felt stirring within him last night reared its ugly head as Alec felt a tugging at his insides.

He turned swiftly on his heel, forcing himself to look out of the window, which conveniently had the view of half of TC being washed in the early morning light. He moved silently to the other side of the room to shrug on his jacket.

"Christ" he murmured closing his eyes again _I can __**still**__ smell her_.

Slight movements in the other room suddenly drew his attention… or rather, his hearing.

He pushes the bedroom door open to find the room bathed in pale indigo.

Alec went to look at the baby; it lay still on its back with its small head tucked into a shoulder. Alec focused his hearing to concentrate on the even sound of its breathing and the fainter sound of its steady heartbeat, before lightly running his fingers across its dark curls before drawing back to pull the blanket to rest higher on its chest before leaving the room.

He didn't consider his actions.

Passing through the sitting room he bid a silent goodbye to Max and left the apartment.

A few minutes later Max cracked an eye open at the soft wailing that could be heard from her bedroom.

* * *

"Right" Alec said walking into the meeting room of TC's headquarters, smirk in place "are we ready to begin this meeting or what?"

"You know princess," came a disgruntled voice from the back of the room. "You can't keep on strolling in late like this." Mole said cigar in place "you're setting a bad example" he added gesturing to the dozen Transgenics around the large table.

"What? I'm on time" Alec said, feigning ignorance. "I gotta keep things interesting you know. So what if I'm a bit late? Give or take a minute. Or few" he ended grinning.

"Try half an hour" the lizard-man started, growling, but faltered slightly when Alec produced a case of Cuban cigars.

"Mmpph" was the reply when it was thrown at him.

Alec produced a few more 'presents' from his numerous pockets and proceeded to charm and persuade the rest of the council into a mellower mood.

"Right" Alec repeated seriously, his eyes glinting a silent warning.

The fun and games were _over._

"Is there a meeting _or not_?"

Any thoughts of speaking out dissipated as their second in command took control of the meeting…

* * *

…forty-five minutes later…

* * *

"… so security will be tightened up in the exits of area's four through to seven… Dix? Palle? Have we got the figures we needed? Get them up to the office in under an hour. Is there any more business to discuss?"

There were many shaking heads.

"Err Alec," spoke up Dix, the pale Transhuman in charge of systems "where's Max?" he asked mischievously.

The room watched in amazement as their second in command suddenly seemed at a _loss of words_.

"I…" he swallowed "Max is…" the sentence was left unfinished as the whirlwind known as Max stormed into the room and fixed all of the rooms' occupants with an icy look. Any relaxed slouching positions straightened as feet disappeared under the circular table.

"My presence. At every meeting. Is _not_ essential, Alec is _more_ than capable of handling things" she barked "and I doubt if many of you would even _be_ questioning that fact if a few of you hadn't have seen us come back earlier this morning."

Some sheepish faces had the grace to look down, while others sat back to watch the fireworks fly with amusement deeply set in their eyes.

"Alec and I have a son _courteously _of Manticore."

Whatever the rest of the council were expecting, they certainly were not expecting _**anything**__ like_ _this… _judging from most of their slack jaws.

"This whole business is not to be discussed. Understood? There will be **no **objections -" she snapped, staring at each member in turn before ending in a dangerously calm tone "until _**Alec and I**_ have decided what _**we**_ want to be done." With that she stormed back out of the room, slamming the door for good measure.

Alec smirked at the rest of the Transgenic's still eyeing the vibrating doorframe, before chirping, "coffee anyone?" and grinning widely.

* * *

Max was still seething when she arrived at Gem's. She lightly rapped at the door, and found that the anger that was threatening to boil over abated when she took in the tussled hair of the younger transgenic mother.

Gem gave her a bleary eyed grin and opened the door wider, allowing Max to enter. Quietly Gem made her way to the small kitchenette to continue making coffee; Max glanced around.

Just like all the other homes in TC, it had been left unfinished or was dilapidated... but her sharp eyes took in the small touches that gave the apartment a cosy feel. Like the blankets and rugs strategically placed around the room to draw the attention away from it's… naturally run down appearance.

She spotted a pile of clean washing piled up in the corner of a sofa waiting to be folded, and baby Eva's toys still strewn hopelessly across the floor.

Whimpering drew the Transgenics' attention. Gem abandoned her work in the kitchen and moved silently to the bedroom. Max hung back at the doorframe and watched as Gem tenderly held her four month old baby, patting her back reassuringly and murmuring comforting nothings into her ears.

Uncomfortable, Max cleared her throat - feeling like an intruder at such a tender moment between mother and child.

"How was he?"

Gem turned and gave Max a smile before motioning her further into the room to stand beside the crib; together they stared down at the dark haired little boy with wide soulful eyes gazing up at them.

"He was fine Max." Gem answered before lowering her little girl into the crib. She stroked her wispy hair before turning to look at Max who was still staring at the two babies lying peacefully in the crib, who were also watching them with alert, unwavering stares.

Gem poked at the homemade mobile which Joshua had haphazardly -but safely- placed above the crib, Max watched in fascination as the two pairs of eyes immediately swung towards the mobile, tracking its jerky movements in utter concentration.

Gem quietly made her way into the other room to resume making coffee, and as she predicted, a few minutes later Max came out of the room to sink onto the sofa. Gem handed Max a mug of coffee before settling into the sofa next to her, watching Max as she absently sipped her steaming drink.

Shrugging Gem turned to her own drink blowing at it thoughtfully.

"Thank you" Max said quietly, sombre mocha eyes resting on darker ones "- for watching him." Gem continued to watch her expectantly as she took another sip of her drink; Max gazed at her absently

"Gem, I want to ask you something... When you first had Eva were you... uh - nervous?" she ended lamely.

Gem looked thoughtfully at her before nodding slowly "I had spent months preparing for it, thinking up different strategies and scenarios… determined to do the _best_ for my baby, but when it was just the two of us again…" she stumbled over the last sentence as they both thought of Dalton. Who was like a brother to Gem, but had not returned from his mission in helping to locate and retrieve Transgenic's from outer Seattle. Max felt fresh wave of guilt hit her as she felt the loss for Gem and Eva...

Gem took a visibly calming breath before continuing: "I realised what a big responsibility I was faced with. I was a solider; I knew 17 different ways to kill a man, with a_ spoon_," she paused as she and Max shared a humourless smile "plan recon missions and excelled in schematics… but faced with _protecting young_?" she laughed dryly "Manticore didn't cover _that_ one."

She pinned Max with a penetrating stare "I was scared shitless."

"How did you –"Max started haltingly.

"Get over it?" Gem supplied when Max nodded hesitantly. "I didn't." She smiled at Max's obvious confusion.

"I just realised," she went on slowly "that there _was_ _**no more **_Manticore, no one to take orders from, or report to. That it was, and will always be, up to _me_. I realised that worrying 24/7 wouldn't help the situation, and that I needed to just get on with looking after _my _baby." She ended, gracefully tucking her feet under her on the sofa. Watching Max assimilate what she had just been told.

"Gem –" began Max. "I want to ask you a favour. I need somebody to watch the baby, while I'm around TC today. I know that you have Eva and that –"

"Okay."

"Okay?" Max repeated, staring at the other woman. "Just like that?"

"Yes Max. I would be honoured to watch him for you." She looked away self consciously. "You've done so much for me already…" she trailed off before smiling brightly at Max "and I would be happy to help."

"Thank you." Max breathed before standing up "my shift finishes at eight tonight… but if it's alright with you - I'd like to drop by during the day."

"Of course" Gem said following Max's example and getting up, she walked Max to the door, "Max, you're always welcome… and, if you ever need to talk…"

"Thanks." said Max sincerely before quietly closing the door behind her.

* * *

…10:40…

* * *

With a vicious uppercut Alec was on the floor _again_. '_Unbelievable' _he thought again while automatically blocking the barrage of punches that were flying at him. His opponent wasn't particularly stronger than him, nor did he have better skills and method of attack. In fact - despite the amount of times Max had 'pummelled' him, he was among the best that Manticore had had to offer.

Even Max had - reluctantly admitted it after a fight, but Alec's head was _not _on his fight…

_A son, a son, a son, a son. __**Max **__and __**I **__have a son. What the fuck is this shit?_ He thought viciously before striking back at his attacker _Max is one of the only people in this fucked up world that I actually worry about... care for… even, but now I'm supposed to help look after this kid? Max's… baby? I'm Alec for Christ's sake! I could talk my way out of an ex-virgins room when her daddy's standing at the door with a shotgun, I can negotiate meetings between countries which have been at war for years but… a baby? _

Another sharp kick came his way before Alec finally snapped back into reality.

Kick. Dodge. Sweep. Roundhouse kick. Alec phased to the left and then the right before snapping back with a brutal front jab, and his opponent, was looking at the world upside down; as cheers erupted around them. A shirtless Alec gazed at his audience, their cheers died down when confronted with his piercing stare.

"If your full attention is not on the fight you might as well take a gun and shoot _yourself_ in the head. You have all seen a demonstration of when a person's full attention is not on the situation. If I were to have been on the field. I would be dead. Focus. Discipline. We're not in Manticore any more but if you choose to ignore all that you experienced there you are _fools_. Now more than ever we need to pay 150% to the skills you were born to perfect. There are enemies everywhere; negligence is a luxury we can't afford to indulge in. It does not exist in this battle. Don't make _your_ neglect give _them_ the upper hand solders. Class dismissed."

He absently watched the line of young X-6's file out of the warehouse which had been converted into a makeshift arena, before reached down to haul his sparring partner up.

"What _was_ that?" questioned Biggs shaking his head as Alec remained silent, "what's going on with you? You almost threw the fight! You _never_ throw a fight!" he paused before adding with a wide smirk "Unless of course, it's with _Max_"

Alec's head snapped up.

"Ah." Biggs sighed dramatically "trouble in paradise?"

Alec's gaze narrowed as he searched Biggs' face, he then sighed and leaned against a nearby support beam.

"Biggs man, I'm in deep shit"

"What did you do _now_" Biggs chuckled but abruptly stopped when confronted with the stony faced expression that Alec was throwing at him. "Alec?" he asked hesitantly, unaccustomed to this suddenly silent and brooding man.

Alec sat on the mat and recited emotionlessly, "Last night during the drop out I'd packed up the rest of my stuff from my place before Max rang. Told me she'd be _right_ over." Biggs frowned_. He liked Max. He really did, but the way that she and Alec treated each didn't exactly make for the healthiest of relationships… it seemed that lately it was getting better between the two… but still…_

"I figured no big thing, probably needed to vent on some Logan related crap, thought they probably had another_ disagreement_," Alec shrugged. Biggs frowned again_, back in Manticore Alec had been as loyal to his unit as everybody else, but he still managed to find a way of being more aloof than everybody else… but Biggs had witnessed a lot of Alec's defences come tumbling down whenever Max just __**smiled**__ at the guy_.

"We've got a kid." He told him with no preamble.

Biggs gaped at him. "What…_what_…-"

"_Manticore_, the wonderful place with gifts that just _keeps on giving._"

Biggs shook his head in amazement. "Yours and… _Max's_" Biggs stammered. He was sure that this conversation was not taking place – that Alec had knocking him unconscious in training – really this was just like the time the rocks had started talking to him – everything could be explained rationally...

"…Just _looking _at the kid you can tell." Alec said almost inaudibly.

"How did you find… it?"

"Max found it _in_ her apartment. No signs of breaking and entering… it was professional. Whoever left the baby must have known about the drop out… our schedules… apartments…" Alec trailed off.

"A baby? I thought you said a kid?"

"Baby, kid, same thing" Alec replied dismissively before adding in disgust "we've been tracked for god knows how long, for whoever it was to have known all of this information. It has Manticore written all over it."

The unanswered question hovered above them: _'then why didn't they attack when they were at our most vulnerable?_'

Biggs sunk to the mat staring open mouthed at Alec... and Alec shrugged off the mixture of sympathy and worry he could feel emanating from Biggs and grinned at him in reassurance.

"Well, that's enough of my tragic life. I gotta go man, people to see, duties to do." He added before giving Biggs a clap on the back and swaggering out.

Biggs watched him leaving.

Despite however carefree or happy Alec ever _seemed_ Biggs could still feel his uncertainty, because although it went unsaid - Alec was like a brother to him.

He shook his head at Alec's departing form in aggravation before getting ready for his next class.

* * *

…11:20…

* * *

_Maybe Alec wasn't being selfish when he said we should be cautious. _She thought staring at the mutilated body of a transhuman in the medical ward of TC's 'hospital' with the words 'burn trash burn' gouged and burned across his body…_If there is a __**chance**__ that we could prevent that little innocent from a future like this… then it ought to be taken. _

She waited until the ward was almost deserted before searching for the 'doctor'. She found her in a back room, she was unnaturally pale like Dix with long snow white hair pulled into a messy bun and with eyes that were almost luminous amber. It was only if you studied her closely that you could see that she a bit more canine in her...

Max closed the door and pulled the doctor aside for a little chat, a few minutes later a discrete order was sent out that Gem should come down to the hospital with 'the baby'.

…

Max flinched a little at the way the baby hardly batted an eye at the blood being taken. Despite the small sample being drawn, he seemed resigned to it as _if he was… used to it_.

Max resisted the sudden urge to grab the needle from the doctor's hands…

"…I can have the results by the end of today, it's the best I can do with such limited resources… and we're so busy…"

Max waved her off "thank you Neva." She said to her warmly knowing that the transhuman field medic was doing her best, every day new Transgenics poured into Terminal City, each with desperately needed skills, but within the chaos of arriving it took longer than it should in designating the appropriate tasks for everybody.

Neva smiled in relief, glad that Max hadn't had seen her inability to get the results back ASAP despite the difficult conditions as a failing.

"I'll call your cell when the results are ready."

She said finally, to the departing woman.

* * *

A/N – I revived Biggs. So what - and who hasn't? If you don't like it, bite me. If you do – or note something else is questionable remember reviews is love. -- Revised 30/11/08

* * *

_In the next chapter:_

_~Alec shook his __head as something akin to pity washed over him. Max was a part of TC, distancing herself from every one was only going to do more harm than good she needed to realise that __they all __were now her unit… would look out for her… he could hardly believe that these were __his __thoughts, but the sooner she accepted that, the better.~

* * *

_


	5. The Long Night

_Disclaimer__: I OriginalBubble do not claim to own any of the characters of Dark Angel – I only have my interpretation on what __should__ have happened. _

_Summary__: In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

_In the previous scene: __~…She had no idea where all this sudden emotion was coming from, and was… __**disturbed**__ by it, to say the least... Alec was being… totally… reasonable. __**What was wrong with her? ...**__The silence the room was heavy and consuming… they didn't know how long they continued to sit there and stare unseeingly at her ceiling, until sleep came to claim both their troubled minds…~_

* * *

The Long Night

* * *

…20:20…

* * *

Max and Alec sit on the roof of one of the highest buildings in TC, as they would the space needle.

"I had him tested" Max's voice drifted to him on the wind. She was concentrating on the faint outline of the space needle, her enhanced eyesight permitted her. Alec glanced at her. "He's ours." She said quietly.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"I left him with Gem; she's the only one who…" _She trusted enough_ Alec supplied shaking his head as something akin to pity washed over him. Max was a part of TC, distancing herself from every one was only going to do more harm than good, she needed to realise that _they_ were now her unit… and he could hardly believe that these were _his _thoughts... but the sooner she accepted it the better.

"Max-" he started.

"I guess I should go and pick him up" She said quickly.

Alec only nodded, as he watched Max practically scramble up to get away from him. Then he closed his eyes in frustration at how stupid he was going be…"wait" he called out. Jogging over to her, "I'll come with you."

She cocked her head to the side and stared at him for a long time, before finally shrugging and walking on.

* * *

When they reached Gem's, twin piercing cries were vibrating in the air.

Alec apprehensively pushed at the open door.

Gem was frantically bouncing the two up and down while circling the room, humming distractedly. Alec winced as their cries hammered at his sensitive ears.

"Gem!" he called out - only to watch in amazement as she continued to circle the room. "Gem!" he shouted louder… _maybe they had __**deafened**__ her_ "Gem!"

She ground to a halt and spun around as quickly as she could with out frightening the babies.

"Thank God!" she breathed. Alec gaped at Gem's relieved expression when she saw _him._ He turned to Max who still stood in the doorway; _I had to tell her_ she shrugged. Alec shook his head in disbelief, backing up as Gem started towards him with an almost maniacal gleam in her dark eyes.

"No…" he started, as she put the baby in his arms; only to be dumb struck as the baby's cries immediately turned into a pitiable whimpering. A satisfied smile curled onto Gem's lips as she shifted Eva in her arms and pulled the ear plugs from her ears. Max's mouth twitched slightly, but Gem caught the small movement and said dryly:

"You'd need them too if they decided to start hollering at you for the past hour and a half." Max paled slightly.

"They haven't been crying for all this time-" She asked in a slightly panicked voice, coming into the room far enough to gaze down at the baby in Alec's arms.

"Oh no," Gem said quickly "they err, just started up" she continued unconvincingly before giving the baby in Alec's arms an, almost fond look. "But as soon as one started up the other would follow." Alec smirked down at the baby in his arms and was caught off guard when he saw almost identical eyes gazing back up at him… _its as though he recognises me some how_…

Gem smiled softly at the picture the three made… both heads bowed so closely together gazing down at their baby… Max's hand rested on one of Alec's arms as he – awkwardly – cradled the baby boy. It took Gem a few minutes before she caught Alec's questioning look. "They can recognise scent." She replied in answer, two pairs of eyes snapped up to meet hers. "That's not a norm baby guys," she said smirking "you would know that a _few_ things would be different"

"Like?" Max said curiously.

"Just… developing quicker in general and… a few things to do with the rest of the DNA in us." Gem answered dismissively, kicking one of Eva's toys across the room. Max and Alec stood in a meditative silence. "What are you guys planning to do with him?" Gem said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I… guess he's coming home with me?" Max answered while Alec shrugged.

"I don't just mean for now." Gem added softly, curiously watching the two as they stiffened. It went unsaid that with the two engulfed in the seemingly unending war that this might be their only chance of becoming parents and of having the family that most Transgenics secretly craved for. "I could watch him when you're working..."

Max stared at Gem in disbelief.

"Are you mad?" Alec supplied "one _screeching_ baby isn't enough for you?" Max fingers itched to slap him upside the head but couldn't risk his automatic response of cheeking out the latest damage she had inflicted on him, with the baby in his arms. Max shot him a dirty look instead as he grinned back at her knowingly.

Max turned back to Gem "what the _idiot_ here means is that you already have Eva, and we know that she can be a handful, but with another kid around –"

"What _she_ means is:" he added stressing the _she_ as if it was distasteful "why the hell would you want two little… people, to run after?" Alec slowly, smirking as he watched Max using a new method of trying to control her temper: _Huh, counting she's never tried that one before._

"_Actually_," Gem broke in, "I was thinking of taking him with me to the crèche."

Max turned to Gem in surprise _I didn't know that they had organised the crèche… _

It had been one of Max's earlier ideas regarding TC and the increasing number of pregnant X-series females, the idea had been met with blank stares and solemn looks, and with Max's feeble hold on the leadership at the time she had decided that _for now_ it might be best _not_ to push it. The pressures of the outside world had side tracked her once again and she had actually _forgotten about it_. Gem watched Max curiously, as Alec somewhat nervously jumped back into the conversation.

"That's a great idea" he said brightly and swallowed as two pairs of dark eyes rested consideringly on him. "Oh come on ladies, behind this pretty face lurks the brains of a genius you know" he said waggling his eyebrows. Max snorted and looked away, but Gem's gaze narrowed in something akin to remembrance. "Err, Max" Alec said nervously "don't you think you should hold him… I wasn't exactly trained for this sorta stuff"

Max arched an eyebrow at him _who was?_ Gem was about to open her mouth to say something but Eva, resenting being ignored began to wriggle and pull at her mother's hair, telling her in no uncertain terms that she was _un_-amused.

"_Bababababababa,_" Gem frowned and took her into the bedroom as Max took the baby out of Alec's hands, where he proceeded to give Max a gummy smile, to which, Alec could _swear _he saw something _melt _within _Max's_ eyes.

"Hello baby," Max said softly, lightly bouncing him on her shoulder… he gurgled in response.

Gem came out of room with a worn looking Moses-basket filled with things like diapers, clothes, blankets, a few bottles of ready made milk and baby formula and then handed it to Alec.

"Gem…" Max began

"Eva has more clothes than I do, believe it or not. And as for the diapers and stuff… well there _are_ people in TC who don't mind helping out others. If you don't take them, no body else will" … _of course, somebody is always in need in TC _went unsaid but Max knew of the effort Gem must have put into it and gave her a warm smile in thanks.

"The crèche is open from eight till six. There is a rotation of mothers and helpers every three hours, you can drop him at mine in the morning and pick him up whenever your shift finishes."

Max felt something prickling her eyes that felt suspiciously like tears and turned away. Alec silently opened the door and Max breezed past him. He turned to give Gem a salute before disappearing as well. Gem shook her head in amusement.

"_Bababababababa_," came Eva's surprised babble from the other room.

"Tell me about it honey" Gem smirked making her way back into the other room.

* * *

* * *

…00:45…

* * *

The evil shrilling of his mobile phone was preventing Alec from the good night's sleep that he _deserved_. Whoever had dared to cut into his sleeping time had better have a damned good excuse.

: - Alec - : he barked into the phone

: -_ Alec! _- :

: - Not again Max! - : he whined pitiably into the phone.

: - _Alec! Get over here right now! _- :

:- **Please** Max… not all of us have shark DNA you know… - :

: - _Do you think that matters to __**him**__? He __**won't stop crying **__Alec! He __**won't stop**__!_ - :

: - So what do you want me to do? - : he murmured as sleep was driven further and further away from him because of Max's screeching and the wailing kid in the back ground. : - why don't you call Gem? - :

: - _**Alec**_- :she said seriously: -_**don't you think that she's done enough for us**_ - :

: - Yeah - : he answered heavily, getting out of bed : - I'll be over in two minutes… Max? - :

: - - :

_Know it all._

It _did_ only take Alec only two minutes to get to Max's. He knew the route off by heart.

He walked up the stairs sluggishly but as gracefully as ever and pushed the door she had left open for him, letting himself in. Max pacing the room in agitation was the scene that greeted him. The baby's face was scrunched up as it continued to squall and with each piercing cry he watched the resolve of the ever _calm_ and _reserved_ Max crumble. She turned, catching his scent seemingly the same time as the baby.

Two pairs of eyes were suddenly pinned on him, one dark brown and the other _his own_ staring him down silently. So Alec was… _unnerved_ to say the _least_.

"Unbelievable" Max said.

"What? I came didn't I?"

"Alec get out." She said, pinning him again with that unnerving stare. Too used to Max to take offence Alec stepped back into the hallway, the baby's face immediately began to scrunch up and that telltale shuddering whimper could be heard.

"Alec get in here" she snapped. Alec wearily came inside and closed the door. Max placed the baby in the Moses-basket

"Unbelievable" she said again clearly irritated. "_Just_ developing quicker_… and a _few things to do with our _freaky DNA,_ she _should have_ said!" Max raged, as Alec looked on blankly from his nice _safe_ distance close to the door. Max sighed, "_Feline DNA _Alec… he knows our scents" Alec frowned before he got a faint idea of what she was talking about.

"But it takes days… sometimes weeks…" he stammered.

"I know." Max said sullenly _developing quicker my ass_. She thought over the past day and a half "…I wrapped him in my clothes… he was in my clothes and then we went to your apartment." _It still had your scent all over it _she added silently as she watched his eyes grow wider. "…we slept in your bed,"_ and I slept in your clothes _her eyes widened slightly "he probably feels safer with the both scents surrounding him." Max tagged on reluctantly. Alec cleared his throat and looked Max over cautiously.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I… don't know"

_I'm wasting sleep for this?_ "So, I've been here, he's caught my scent, he should feel… _safer_"

"You know it doesn't go like that Alec!" Max snapped. They lapsed into silence, both thinking about the difference that scent made in their lives… and the absence of a 'comforting' one. "You're staying" she said with finality. Alec looked at her incredulously.

"Where Max? You want me to sleep on the floor? "

"Alec,_ stop _whining." she said through gritted teeth, despite the amount of time she spent angry at Alec, she wasn't blind, even with his whining, Max would love to wind him up just to see that Goddamn_ sparkle _in his eyes; but that almost never distracted her, she wanted to kick that boys ass. He was being an idiot.

"This place isn't exactly _cosy_…"

She had heard it before, his insinuating that her lack of _cosiness_, among other things, were what contributed to what kept the apartment with only one occupant.

"If you don't shut your mouth right now…" she said taking a menacing step towards him.

"Come on _Maxie_, you have to _control that temper_." He said wagging a finger at her "want to be a good mommy, don't you?" he added sardonically, barely managing to duck the automatic punch she threw before the other one slammed into his gut.

"That _hurt _Max" he whined, rubbing his stomach.

Max threw him a look of disgust before bending over to pluck something from the coffee table. She shoved a piece of paper at Alec. He arched a brow looking down in curiosity. Neat bullet points on _'how to create formula'_ were written on the top piece of the paper followed by various other _'how to do's'_ following after them.

He glanced at Max from under his lashes, her black tank top and bike shorts clung to her like a second skin, golden skin taunting him with every single movement she made. Her dark hair was clasped in careless bun at her nape; dark tendrils escaped it, and caressed her shoulders like kisses would... Alec shifted uncomfortably. Max only glanced up at him to motion irritably, that he should read the note out loud when the kettle had finished boiling.

"I thought Gem had left some bottles of formula for you?" He said glancing at the scattered items on the counter.

"If I had some formula right now, do you think I would be making more? Just read the damn instructions Alec!"

"Tsk. Tsk. I don't think any kid should be exposed to your foul language" Max balled her hands into fists as Alec leisurely took off his jacket, smirking as he prolonged her anger.

"Geez Max, calm down." He said lightly, before starting tersely: "Measure a cup and a half of the baby formula and put it into the bottle." He watched as Max followed his instructions smirking. When he thought about it _Max was only willing to take his instructions when it came from somebody else… and when she was as clueless as he was in a situation_.

"When the kettle has boiled pour it into the bottle until it fills ¾ of it. Stir, replace cap and shake." Alec was now leaning against the counter watching as Max put all her concentration in the seemingly simple task. "Wait for it to settle and then test it out on your forearm to test the temperature" He paused.

"Is that it?" Max asked surprised, _not that it was advanced genetics or anything, but it had seemed… more challenging at the time… she'd never made baby formula before._

"The next sub-title is feeding, and unless _you_ want a nice refreshing drink of formula I suggest that you get the kid out of the bag." He replied flippantly, sitting on a barstool he had brought back to TC after a random excursion… _come to think of it Max always had the sweetest deals out of the stuff he brought back… not that she was entitled to the first pick or anything… he'll have to straighten it out with her later._

"It's a Moses basket" replied Max absently, placing the bottle on her coffee table before going to retrieve the baby.

"Whatever" he said, watching as Max settled herself into the sofa with the baby.

"Well?" she said motioning for him to continue, when he continued to stare at them with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Oh right… settle the baby in a comfortable position in the crook of your arm making sure that his head is supported and raised slightly higher than the rest of his body before feeding him. Tilt the bottle so that the teat is filled, to make sure no air bubbles get into it… _feed the baby_. Stop occasionally to ensure that the baby doesn't get gas." Alec paused as he silently read the message from Gem outlined: _if the baby goes red and starts to flail around __**stop Alec!**_ His mouth twitched in amusement before he finished the sentence "and repeat the motion."

The room was silent except for the steady suckling noises of the baby; wavy tresses cascaded around her shoulders and enveloped the two in a silken veil. Her dark eyelashes kissed her skin as she gazed down at the baby in her arms… Alec looked away.

"When he's finished, hold him in a seated position with one hand steadying his front or hold him over your shoulder and gently pat or rub his back… he'll burp eventually." But Max didn't look up; he doubted that she had even heard him. He cleared his throat and put on his jacket… his hand was on the doorknob when Max's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going Alec?"

He shrugged in response.

"Stay." She said firmly "please." She tagged on quietly, gazing at him from beneath her dark lashes.

Alec raised an eyebrow.

"I know you think I'm wonder woman and all, but I need my three hours of sleep every now and then." She sighed in defeat, "he won't let me if you're gone."

Alec battled with his inner demons, some were telling him to run as far away from this disturbing scenario as possible, and others were screaming at him to remember that Max hardly _ever _asked for anything of _him_.

He sat down on the sofa with a heavy sigh. Max flashed him a triumphant smirk, to which he grunted in reply.

* * *

A/N Crèche – playgroup or nursery… what? Some people honestly don't know what crèche's are.

A/N2 I apologise for only now activating anonymous reviews to my stories. I remember when I was not a member of , the frustration of not being able to review on stories that I loved – or being unable to contact authors because I did not have an account. So belated apologies to all readers outside of

A/N3 I realised some time ago how completely unoriginal the title for my story is.

* * *

In the next chapter:

_~She had never seen anything like it. The ever composed Max and Alec stood at her door, covered in baby powder and yoghurt… a desperate looking Alec held the squirming baby in front of him as he were some sort of offering, while Max worked some of the yoghurt out of her hair with a fierce scowl on her face... the baby smiled angelically. Gem wordlessly opened the door. ~_


	6. Ivanhoe

_Disclaimer__: I OriginalBubble do not claim to own any of the characters of Dark Angel – I only have my interpretation on what __should__ have happened. _

_Summary: __In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

_In the previous chapter:__ Alec shook his __head as something akin to pity washed over him. Max was a part of TC, distancing herself from everyone was only going to do more harm than good she needed to realise that __they all __were now her unit… would look out for her… he could hardly believe that these were __his __thoughts, but the sooner she accepted that, the better_

* * *

Ivanhoe

* * *

08:02

* * *

She had never seen anything like it. The ever composed Max and Alec stood at her door covered in baby powder and yoghurt. For some reason she was guessing the 'how to do' list wasn't going as smoothly as it should, but _hey_ she _had_ simplified it.

Alec, looking desperate held the squirming baby out in front of him as he was some sort of offering, while Max worked some of the yoghurt out of her hair with a fierce scowl on her face.

The baby smiled angelically… well with parents like his…

Gem wordlessly opened the door. Alec rushed in, immediately frantically looking for places to put down the baby before bolting, while Max threw her jacket onto the couch and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Sooo," Gem started, closing the door and doing her level best to stifle the cackling that was threatening to erupt when Alec threw a pitiable mournful look at the closed door.

"How was the baby sitting?" she said brightly. Alec froze.

"Meh" he said shrugging casually, acting as if he _wasn't _covered in baby powder and yoghurt, and he wasn't _still_ holding the baby at an arms length as if it would blow up at any given moment. Gem arched a dark eyebrow.

"Do you think you could help a guy out here?" Alec said sarcastically as Gem continued to watch him with that _damn sparkle_ of amusement in her dark eyes.

_She must be loving this_ he thought bitterly as Gem _slowly_ made her way to him and plucked the baby from his unresisting hands. Alec immediately began to rub off the powder and wipe at the yoghurt that was actually threatening to mess up _his_ clothes.

'..._better than the sewers-_' Gem thought she heard him muttering.

"Well that's my job done." He said brightly. "See ya." He called out before practically blurring out of the door. As the front door slammed shut Max emerged from the bathroom, the streaky lines of powder and yoghurt that had adorned her face had disappeared, and her hair shone… although slightly damp.

"Where is he?" she practically growled. Gem nodded towards the swinging door, and now empty corridor. A furious look swept Max's features as she grabbed her jacket.

"This is all his fault… the fool!" she spat giving a sharp nod in Gem's general direction before slamming out of the door.

Gem bounced the baby on her hip; her only thought: _thank god Eva's already awake._

* * *

08:12

* * *

As Max and Alec walked towards the head quarters of TC. They noticed that they were on the receiving end a lot of attention (more than they usually were). Ranging from wide smiles, tragic sympathetic looks and disapproving frowns. Alec gingerly touched the new bruise on his face _nothing worse than usual_ he shrugged, but the reactions of the occupants of TC were now getting a bit more enthusiastic as some decided to envelope them in hugs or clap them on the backs or offer their deepest condolences. It was only _then _that Max's shoulders had squared determinedly as she stormed the rest of the way to head quarters.

...The crowd had simply melted when confronted with the fierce anger that Max was radiating. Alec sighed and followed cautiously, curious over whatever poor fool had aroused Max's anger…

He found Max pinning one of the council members to the wall.

"-and you thought that if I told you that I wanted _nobody's_ input, that I would want _hundreds_ of Transgenics clapping me round the shoulders telling me to _be strong?_"

"…Honestly Max, I didn't think it would be such a big deal-"

"Big deal! I'll show you a _big deal_ you _little worm_…" She was about the slam him into the wall again when Max felt a restraining hand on her arm

"Now Max, don't you think that it will be a good idea to let the nice council member go?" Said Alec in an especially irritating sing-songy voice. Max glared at him, but let the man she was holding slide to the floor. She watched him scramble up and said to him coldly:

"Now if you _ever _feel like opening your mouth, to babble _confidential_ matters again, just remember, I will gladly shut it for you, with my fist." She turned and stormed off to her office.

Alec patted the dazed man reassuringly on the back.

"Don't worry about it man, that's just her way of saying she likes you," he said absently watching the door to Max's office slam shut with a bang. "Trust me on that" he added gingerly fingering his bruise.

* * *

**: - … Don't you be telling me to bip! You mind your own business Normal… yes this is an important call. It's my home girl****Max - : **

A triumphant pause, before a terse reply:

**: - No Normal, I don't know how Alec is doing... or if he's started an all Transgenic boxing ring Sketch! Move from my sight fool! - : **

A vicious slap can be heard followed by a muffled scream.

**: - Hey boo. - : **came Original Cindy's harassed voice from over the phone.

**: - **_**Hey**_** - : **Max said sighing, through the smile that had slowly faded from her voice.

**: - What's wrong sugar? - :** OC said worried,

Max took a _deep and calming_ breath.

**: - **_**OC don't freak out…**_** - :**

* * *

…35 minutes later …

* * *

Max laughed as she heard the familiar motherly instructions OC was throwing at her from over the phone in regards to 'bein happy are caring for OC's baby-boo'.

**: - **_**…no way, OC. You're not coming anywhere near TC till the waiting period is over, there's no way that I'm gonna risk you getting sick just 'cause you want to come four days early. I'll see you soon.**_** - :**

Max replaced the phone, feeling calmer than she had in a while, from just hearing OC's comforting voice.

"You'll be a fool if you're thinking that you have ta take responsibility for that kid." Mole said leaning in the doorway of her makeshift office, watching her as she replaced the phone on its cradle.

"_Excuse me_?" Max replied, arching dark eyebrows _if I hardly listen to Alec's 'advice' who the hell does this idiot think he is?_

"That kid is only yours genetically. Don't get too attached." He said lighting up a cigar "If I was to think like you, I'd be tellin half of my kind out there to call me papa." He added waving his cigar in the direction of other lizard–like anomalies.

"Well I'm not like you, and if you haven't noticed, I don't see things like you do." Max bit back.

"Ten years in the world has messed up your strategic thinking" Mole said shaking his head woefully.

"I've been out for _eleven_ _years_, and screw you." Max snapped... _well it was closer to twelve but who was counting?_

"You think life is rough now? What will it be like with the _additional_ pressure of having a _**completely**_** defenceless** person depending on you for everything? And what if you don't come back after a mission? What then?"

"None of your business Mole" she spat, trying to tell herself that Mole was only trying to contribute in the only _useful _way he could. By being an fuc-

"Oh no, that's where you've got it _wrong_ girly. As the leader of TC you can only take so many distractions," he said seriously "can you _really _handle more?"

"I_ don't know _Mole" she said sarcastically before snapping, "but you can take your _concerns_ and shove it up your –"

"Max!" A loud voice boomed from above her. She hardly knew what was happening before she was lifted up and crushed into a gigantic bear-hug. Mole drifted away shaking his head in exasperation muttering about puppies, paint fumes and overexcitement. "I'm so happy for little fella! Where is littlest fella?"

"Joshua…" Max stared up at the dog-man.

"Where is the baby Max?"

_Shit_

"I was going to tell you Josh… but with all the –"

"Excitement," he supplied nodding his head vigorously. "Yes I know." He added distractedly looking for where Max could possibly put a baby.

_Honestly the office was tiny… _

"He's not here Joshua."

"A boy?" He smiled, a goofily grin covering his face. "Alec must be pleased, first son."

_How in the hell-_

"...yeah… he's probably still at Gem's"

"Alec?"

"No Joshua, the baby."

_People and their big goddamn mouths-_

"But where would he run to Max?" Joshua asked giving Max a strange look "babies can't walk, can't even talk." Max cracked a small smile.

"I know Joshua." She replied laughing "I meant that Gem was going to take the baby to the nursery."

"Ahhh." Replied Joshua sagely. Racking his brain for what on earth a _nursery_ could be…

Maybe he should read _Ivanhoe_ again.

* * *

A/N There is no actual reference to _Ivanhoe_ that I know of, I just thought it was funny. **Revised** **30/11/08**

* * *

In the next chapter: _ Cassandra, Y, Mona, Female, 33, Blond, Height 5"7, Weight 11 St, Address: Wyoming…_

_The police officer slanted a look down at the woman in the car… the woman sat back and flashed a twisted little smile replying vaguely "well, everybody's got to be somewhere don't they"…The woman sat back and started to tap an uneven beat on the wheel of her car. He peered into the back of the car, blankets and boxes were heaped onto the back seat… She looked up dazed. "Are you alright?" he asked hesitantly… Her empty eyes were an answer enough.

* * *

  
_


	7. Cassandra

(A/N My chapters were so short they were annoying me, so went back and I merged long day I with II, and the long night I with II, to be honest they were together to begin with, shrug but they looked much longer on Microsoft word. If you've already read the story which had 7 chapters I reduced it to 6, so basically I've added 2 new ones. )

(A/N2 Sorry if I freaked anybody out, didn't mean to, was just moving things around:

_For any distress caused_: here another new chapter ;))

_In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby._

Cassandra

Cassandra, Y, Mona

Female

33

Blond

Height 5"7

Weight 11 St

Address: Wyoming…

"Excuse me; do you mind moving things along?"

The police officer slanted a look down at the woman in the car.

"Are you in a hurry to be somewhere?"

The woman sat back and gave a twisted little smile, and said vaguely "everybody's got to be somewhere."

"Well I'm just checking things over ma'am."

The woman sat back and started to tap an uneven beat on the wheel of her car. He peered into the back of the car, blankets and boxes, were heaped onto the back seat.

"Have a nice day ma'am."

She only looked up dazed.

"Are you alright?"

Her empty eyes were an answer enough.

"Watch your speed now." He said stepping away from the car.

…

When he was just a spec in rear view mirror, she heaved a silent sigh of relief, but she couldn't stop them, when the memories just started to flood in.

_**I participated in the creation of this experiment…**_

"_Mona. This is your **subject** patient for the duration of her stay here at Manticore. Her name is **irrelevant** Rhea, serial number C243" **remember it well** the old doctor smiled down at the patient._

_Cassandra also smiled, the Manticore smile that all them scientists cultivated, and reached her hand out to shakes the **patients** hand._

"_Welcome to the programme-" **Anna**, her smile froze on her face "Your doing such a wonderful thing for a childless couple," she recovered, reciting what she had learnt by heart, the lies which contributed to the Manticore of today. "Our research here is among the forefront of genetic engineering, you are making dreams come true. My name is Dr Mona; and I will be working with Dr Green." _

_The subject Rhea smiled, the light not quite reaching her eyes. Cassandra searched for **something** **anything** more._

_Dr Green nodded and walked out of the room, his cool gaze on Cassandra. After only a moments hesitation she stood up and nodded sharply; **this is what I've been working for.**_

"_It's been a pleasure to meet you." She smiled._

…

_**It is one of the few prototypes developed after the main DNA lab was destroyed…**_

"_I had a dog once." Startled Cassandra looked up, C243 rarely initiated conversations. "A beautiful thing with a coat like toffee and large brown eyes, like yours." C243 was lying back, watching the clouds from her window as Manticore drugs were being pumped through her. "She was old and quiet, just, lay around most days." She gave a funny little smile_

_Cassandra paused what she was doing, she didn't talk with C243 as she would with the others, and the resemblances were just too uncanny..._

"_But you knew she was around even if she was just lying there, she'd give you comfort. Hope."_

_The machine made a noise, indicating that the round of drugs were finishing up, C243 looked at her, her green eyes calm and steady. "You remind me of her." _

_Cassandra paused on her way to the door._

"_I had a sister once" said Cassandra quietly, suddenly deciding to remain in the room for the remaining half an hour - before the next course needed to be administered - instead of leaving as she usually would. Why she stayed, and why she decided to share **this** **information** with the subject, she still didn't know… "She was headstrong and confident, but quiet and restrained. Her eyes were… calming." She paused, "you remind me of her."_

_Cassandra took in the mild surprise in the subjects eyes. _

"_Do you know what Rhea means?" said the subject suddenly_

"_No." Cassandra said._

"_Flowing," she snorted and looked dubiously at Cassandra "but not all names mean what they mean, do they?"_

_Cassandra shook her head how could two people be so alike? She then cracked a small smile "I guess not." She said sedately._

"_I'm stuck here right now." Said the woman, hands resting on the large oval of a stomach were Manticore progeny grew, her expression a cross between indignation and exasperation. _

"_I guess you are." Cassandra replied._

_C243 threw her a slanted look "but not forever, I drift with the best of them. I'll see the world."_

_Cassandra was silent, the machine shrilled and the woman smiled._

"_That's it for a few days." Said Cassandra, she paused at the door and said quietly:_

"_Goodbye Rhea" _

"_Goodbye Cassandra," was the soft reply…_

_She was halfway down the hall way before she remembered she had never told **any** of the women her name._

…

_**The project was then moved to the Seattle base and was to be relocated… **_

"_But what's going on!" _

_Sirens were shrilling; the air was heavy with thick smoke and screams._

"_Move! Move! Move!" _

_Bodies shoving into her._

"_Damn it I'm not moving until I get some answers!"_

_A rough hand grabs her arm and pulls her towards heavy metal doors._

"_Code number 34562589" the soldier rounded off._

"_We're under attack?" Was the rough reply_

_She feels as if she were choking… all her hopes… her dreams…_

"_What about the surrogates?" She said suddenly, a disgusting mix of hope and dread, combined with other unidentifiable emotions lit up in her eyes. _

"_Director Renfro has issued that the surrogate Group IC and their support group are to be evacuated and relocated as of now." _

_Her feet started moving again, she allowed herself to be roughly pulled forwards._

"_Where are we? - How are we-?" _

_He stopped; figure ridged with tension and… maybe, excitement._

"_Dr Cassandra Mona, second scientist in command within group 41 3IC. We have no time left to **waste**; if your research means anything to you for God's sake get moving." He grated, "I don't need to remind you that as of now, you are now my responsibility. Talking from this point onwards is unauthorised. Unless I say other wise."_

…

_**What happened after the base went down is irrelevant. **_

_The gunshots wouldn't stop firing, and the shadows looked more sinister as time went by. _

_They wouldn't tell them what was going on… but they were being hunted, and it seemed that death itself was there predator._

_She closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop, she remembered everything._

_She held the bundle closer to her heart trembling "Come on!" She shouted the cold night air eerily heavy and consuming. "Come on!"_

_Surrogate C589 stepped back from the opening, shaking her head_

"_We're staying here." She said fiercely_

"_What" Cassandra breathed, her panic intensifying as she heard the noises growing louder and closer to their location._

"_What the fuck is this?" the surrogate said in a low voice, her eyes wide, clutching at the baby in her arms "what the hell is this?" she rasped, her tone and unnatural glimmer in her eyes made it clear that the woman was no longer in touch with her surroundings, or reality._

"_Danielle." Cassandra said, stumbling over her name, "Danielle!" she said urgently. The woman looked up at her, a twisted smile adorning her face._

"_Did you think we didn't know? That **she** didn't know? Picked off one by one, like fucking animals, you people were dying to protect these things... throwing your live away! Did you think we were idiots? We knew what we were worth; girls that no one cared about, had nothing to lose except the thing some people may call freedom." She all but screamed, "the price was too fucking high! Is this what you want to protect?!? " She said holding the dirty bundle up, "Is this the future?"_

"_No!" Cassandra shouted out horrified… but it was too late…_

_The blood pooled around surrogate C589, as she sat on the floor rocking her backwards and forwards. Her hands were motioning in the way in which a person would do when bathing. _

_Dark figures moved slowly, to surround the broken woman… it was too late._

_Cassandra stepped back jerkily, stumbling into the darkness, clutching something precious, as the darkness enveloped them._

…

_**All creatures given life deserve the right to be able to live free from cages, **_

_**Free from captivity.**_

_The birth was long and difficult, the baby was healthy, the surrogate however…_

_Rhea clutched at Cassandra's arm, weakly pulling here towards her. _

"_All creatures given life deserve the right to be free from cages and free from captivity…" she rasped, when the baby was removed from the room by a scientist, a tear trickled down the side of her face. _

"_Appearances are deceptive… even if you are just the vessel, allow this child to be free." She said drawing in a rugged breath. "Promise."_

"_Ok" Cassandra whispered, smoothing back her hair "ok." _

"_Promise me!"_

"_I promise!" Cassandra said in a low voice._

_Rhea lay back and sighed "Rivers don't always meet the sea you know." She smiled softly, and as she breathed out her last breath Cassandra felt like she had been left by the same soul for the second time in her lifetime.._

…

She wiped the tears from her eyes. Three counties' away and she still felt the danger, hovering over her heart. She wished for them a future and a painless death at the end of it, and for her, she wished there was such a thing as peace.


	8. Red, White and Blue

_In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

(A/N If you've already read the story and you're jumping straight to chapter eight. Go back and read chapter six and seven, to cut a long stoy short, I've made some changes. Enjoy!)

Red, White and Blue

…12:04…

Clementine stared at the two Transgenics before him as they stared solemnly back at him.

"The city wants to feel 'safe' and they believe that with you and yours around that this will never happen." He started.

"Now there _are_ some of us who realise that you lot haven't exactly asked to be stuck in Seattle… or… made, but with the numbers that are trickling in…" he paused shaking his head.

"On the _unofficial_ record…" He said shaking his head again, letting the file he was holding drop onto the table with a thick thunk.

"What they are suggesting is a sort of… truce. They want to know exactly what kind of… 'people' you have within terminal city's boundaries, the numbers, their specialities and your agreement that no more arms will be taken into the city. In exchange, they are willing to draw back the barriers around the city and allow supplies to flow freely into the city." He sat back to observe their reactions.

Their eyes glinted in the dim light, but it was the male transgenic with striking hazel eyes that sat forward and said:

"In other words you want us to give you _all_ the information that we have on our security and positions, you want us to give up all the protection that we have acquired so far in exchange for a four foot extension to the perimeter of Terminal City, and a few rotten vegetables." He ended harshly.

"Have I covered all of it?" He added sarcastically, hazel eyes glinting. _Cause we ain't biting_

"Pretty much…" Clementine answered with a shrug, "I told them that this was a fool's errand and that you will never agree to these terms." He said gesturing to the file.

"Then why are you here?" Max said casually… although the effect was shattered by the edge in her voice.

"I don't think you're all holed up in Terminal City to plan an attack and I don't think that, although it might be a future possibility with the way things are going - that you could become a threat to us."

The room was left in a contemplative silence.

"I think Max was right in asking. Then why are you here Detective Clementine?" Came the electronic drone from the back of the darkened room.

Clementine turned to the computer screen in the corner of the room where the red, white and blue borders were chasing themselves across the screen while 'eyes only' himself, stared back at him.

"I want to help." He said simply.

"Oh?" said the computer screen.

"Yes" Clementine replied tersely before addressing the room at large.

"I've been on the force since long before the pulse, I've seen the things that people do to each other out of fear and prejudices; and I don't want to see it happen again. Seattle will never be the most beautiful, peaceful and trouble free city in America, but I want the chance to try. With the blind and the crazy's in power, it will never happen. So if I have to bend some laws and jurisdictions to do so, at the end, it'll be worth it."

"You don't know what your getting into detective" Max said seriously.

"The chances of you even _being around_ to see those changes your dreaming about will be next to nothing," said Alec bluntly, his mouth twisting into a sardonic smile "just like the rest of us."

Clementine looked at the two occupants of the room, _well three_ if you included the blinking screen with grave eyes, all watching him with unwavering stares.

"I'll take my chances."

The three in the room watch each other for awhile, before the screen speaks up.

"What have you got for us detective?"

**

* * *

**

"So do you think we can trust this guy Logan?" Max asked, turning to the blue computer screen. Clementine had long gone.

"Yeah, I do. All his points are valid… he honestly wants to help. Sung isn't the only one in the police department that can be trusted and we can't be so dependant on him, things are getting dangerous… Clementine wants to help the people of Seattle, all the people of Seattle, we need some new eyes and ears within the department…"

"Err, hate to be a party pooper and all but we haven't got the time." Alec said from across the room, lifting his watch for Max to read from across his room.

Their temperature devices were still in the preliminary stages, and could only be used for a few consecutive hours… at the most; it was all they needed to be labelled as Transgenics out in the open.

Logan blinked, he'd forgotten Alec was there, he could only make out his green eyes in the dim light of the room, _but how could he have forgotten Alec? Where Max goes, **he** goes right?_ He thought bitterly.

Alec stifled a curse, _fine_ Max _had to_ keep up this _ridiculous_ pretence, Logan and he had only ever been barely civil to one another… well… close to it, but this whole situation was throwing more tension and hostility into everything and now was _not_ the time for things to be falling apart.

_Wonder was his reaction would be when Max tells him the good news_ Alec though grimly as he allowed himself a small grimace before turning back to stare at the screen emotionlessly.

The ice in Logan's glare only melted when he turned to Max, they said their goodbyes and the screen went blank.

"Come on," Max said walking to the door, putting on her gloves.

"One minute," called Alec.

"What are you doing?" she said waving her hand in the direction of the computer equipment in his arms

"We need it more than he does." He replied. Max shrugged, _can't argue with him there_.

"But it's your problem getting it back" she said, before mounting her bike.

_She'd missed her baby so much_; she smiled as it purred to life before shooting off into the distance…

She knew that Alec was right behind her.

It had been awhile since they had raced, and she knew he loved the chase as much as she did.

* * *

"So what have you dug up the Manticore Santa?"

"All my resources are tapped out Max." Said Dix crouched over his computer

"What about Logan's contacts?" Max said leaning on a nearby desk, looking down.

"I don't feel too good about taking from the robin hood of Seattle, Max…" Dix said hesitantly, glancing at Alec who was leaning against another desk. "Logan's done nothing but good for us Max."

"I know Dix." Max sighed _I know_ "but there are reasons, why we are not going through Logan this time." She said quietly. Aware that Alec's green gaze was also resting on her.

"Well if you just tell the guy Max." Dix implored, avoiding Alec's cool gaze.

"Communications are down." Said Max, her dark eyes finally resting on him

"Not if you wanted them not to be-"

"Don't even go there." Max snapped. "This is not a favour Dix this is serious business which applies to _TC_." Her eyes narrowed, "I want to know who the hell this person is and how many other little _surprises_ Manticore has left behind for its by-products." She paused and cocked her head "I don't need to spell it out for you do I?" She said harshly "If one of the Manticore personnel is running around and gets caught. Death, won't be the first thing on the agenda, ordinaries aren't _conditioned_ like we were taught to be, against the type of questioning we were taught to resist. We need to catch whoever it is before somebody else gets to them first."

Heavily silence.

"There's nothing else for it Dix." She said softly.

"Max." said Alec.

"Meeting's about to start"

"Right."

…

"So the norm's found a _new friend_ to join the _help the Transgenics_ cause." Mole said, on a cloud of cigar smoke.

"_Logan_ has found us another ally, soldier." Max said sharply.

"Well forgive us for being so _ungrateful_" said another transgenic.

"Max," Alec said quietly, "Don't expect everyone to be so willing to accept anything from a norm." confronted with her heated glare, he held up a hand. "No matter how well _you_ know him… them. They can't trust them… can you really blame them?"

Max smothered a tired hand over her face.

"'Cause that's what boils down to at the end of the day Max; _them_ and _us_. They need a lot more to rely on than the reassurances of a norm, _any_ norm."

* * *

…20:04…

Tense muscles…

Frantic heart beats…

Mouths set in grim lines of determination

Soaked to the bone and shaking in apprehension.

Sweat trickles down Alec's back, the muscles in his arms are corded in concentration…

…as he supports the baby while Max bathes it, he still can't believe _how easily he gets roped into things by Max_.

Gem is at the door-frame relieved to be free of Eva for awhile, she sometimes even wonders if Eva likes Joshua better than she does her own Mother, a smile curls onto her lips as she remembers numerous playtime sessions she has sat through when Joshua and Eva crawled all over the living room rearranging… destroying… generally laughing their heads off. Although she loved her baby to bits…_ she, is, tiring_.

Max's lips are pursed in concentration, she acknowledges the fact: babies are slippery when wet. Her hair is soaked, for a kid with feline DNA she thought; this kid sure does love water. A reluctant grin formed on her face, she finds she surprises herself, when laughter comes bubbling up.

She doesn't expect to find Alec's eyes twinkling as well; in silent laughter… they are like that for a while, smiling foolishly into one another's faces. Until they are doused in another sheet of soapy water and the soft hiccupping laughter of the slippery baby within both their firm grasps.

Smiling eyes are forgotten as they try to deal with the tasks at hand.

Gem is holding her sides, in laughter; this was more pathetic than her first time.

They later emerge from the bathroom soapy, but victorious.

Finally, they put the baby to bed and say goodbye to Gem.

Alec heaved an exaggerated sigh, "_okay _Max. I'll do it." He said wiping his hands on a towel, his hair still damp from the baby's water aerobics.

"What?" Max said coming out of the bedroom after she had changed her top.

"Stay here when your _lonely and tired_ and in _need of attention_." He said settling into the sofa with his arms behind his head.

"Oh?" she replied watching as the damp fabric stretched across his broad chest…

"Yeah, and it can't hurt that the kid's screams could peel paint; and _I am_ the only one who can help after all."

Snapping out of her reverie Max lifted a brow, but the scowl she wanted to give him, just wouldn't stay on her face as she considered his words. She smiled at him.

"Thanks"

"Anytime Max." Max tossed him another towel before sitting next to him in a comfortable silence.

"You're still sleeping on the sofa." She said tousling his wet hair before making her way to her room.

"Oh _come on_ Max!" he beseeched, following her.

"…the least you could do is thrown in a pillow or two…" he dodged the pillows,

"…what about rotations…" he dodged the book.

"…hey! Why don't we share?" Unfortunately, he never saw her fist coming.


	9. More than just a thing

_In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

More than just a thing

"Hey isn't a barcode enough for you?" Alec said curiously

"What?" Max said looking up from the table in Crash.

"You wanted to walk on the wild side?"

"Alec what-"

He grabbed her wrist and they watched in fascination as inky images started to appear…

"Oh, my God," Max breathed, the sick realisation that the images on her skin were eerily similar to the ancient runes, found in the Familiar book.

"What the hell are they?"

" I… don't know."

…

After yet another heated argument they stood face to face daring the other to make the next move, a loud coughing in the background interrupted their face off. He smirked as she turned from him in disgust, round one to Alec. As she bent down to grab her jacket he noticed new runes starting to appear around her lower back…

…

"So you think that within a week more of the National Guard will come pouring in from all around America?" said Max peering at the screen in front of Dix

"In short, yes"

"And official records?" she said pointing to a particular part of the screen, as Alec remained silent by her side.

Dix shrugged, "New orders are being sent out every day, even if we do try to fight it politically as well, there's no chance that we will be listened to... a very small chance."

A meditative silence hung between the three, absently Max rapped her fingers on the desk, Dix and Alec watched as a rune repositioned itself on her wrist.

"How often do they do that?" Dix asked curiously

"What?" said Max glancing at him.

"Move around"

"I don't know they happen randomly… it's like a cycle I guess; it changes once, and then repositions itself twice before returning to its original place."

"They need to be recorded."

"Logan-"

"Yeah I know, Logan's recording them too, but I want a look at them as well," shrugged the white skinned anomaly "I've got some extra time, you know between all the party invites." He ended dryly.

"Ok, the more people on this the closer we get to finding the answers that we're looking for. So when do you want it done?"

"When ever you have the time."

…

It took a few days for them to fall into some sort of a routine…

Alec smirked as he turned around another corner, congratulating himself on his brilliance and avoiding Max for four hours straight. _Max wants to see you_ he heard Dix's nervous voice whisper to him _she wants to 'talk' _at that Dix and Alec exchanged an uneasy look… Alec turned into another corridor, and before he knew what was happening, he was slammed into a wall with Max's glowing eyes spitting fire at him. Alec gulped.

"Heeey Maxie" he said easily, in response, she tightened the grip she had on his shirt and lifted a delicate brow; _explain this one_, it said.

"Well I was on my way to see you…"

"And you got locked in a broom closet for _four hours?_" she supplied in a dangerously calm voice.

"Of course not" he answered indignantly _that only happened once… and plus I had some company…_

Max shook him violently as a wolfish smile began to form on his face; Alec lifted his hands in surrender.

"Oh come on Max! Can you blame me? I was told you wanted to _talk_ to me?" He added raising a brow himself "_Talk_ and _beat the shit _out of, are _so_ **_difficult_** to differentiate with you Max."

"This would have been over ages ago. If you had just come when you were called" she snapped back at him as Alec looked her over quizzically.

She stared up at him, and once again had him trapped in her velvety gaze before starting out again in that annoyingly, calm voice.

"Alec, he's been with us for what? Four days? Five? We can't keep on calling the baby 'baby' Alec!"

_Ah,_ he'd been wondering when this conversation was gonna pop up.

"Why not?" Alec answered, apparently already bored with the conversation. Max threateningly tightened her grip.

"Because," she paused for a second, before staring intently at him. "Giving him a name would make it seem more real." She took in how he stiffened slightly and how his eyes darkened. "He deserves to be thought of a person instead of just a thing, Alec."

Alec's eyes narrowed.

"You can't carry on as if he was a doll Alec, you're terrified, of opening up to a _baby_, you're being a coward."

"_Get off_ of me Max," he replied in a dangerously low voice, eyes glinting.

"No." she replied equally chilling.

The fight was on. Again. As Alec tried to struggle out of Max's grip… while she tried to hold on to him.

So God only knows how _she_ ended up pushed against the wall, legs entangled around his hips… trying to squeeze him into submission and _he_ pushing her against the wall, hands fisted into her hair… trying to yank it out of her head… faces only inches apart. Of course it was all _entirely_ innocent but it only took one smothered gasp from behind them to make them both go still, pinning the person behind them with horrified stares.

_Of course_ the woman _only_ erupted into a fit of nervous giggles as they promptly untangled themselves, and _of course_ she had backed up into her friend whispering ferociously, and _of course_ by the end of the day, the news of their latest little 'escapade'would be all over TC. The apparent _tension_ between the two of them _had_ to be sorted out _somehow_ right?

_Great, just great!_ _Why me?_ Max thought helplessly groaning into her hands just barely resisting the urge to bang her head into the wall, repeatedly.

While Alec, as usual, found the situation more than a little amusing and the tell-tale twitching of his beautiful mouth… was a testimony to that. _That should be enough to keep the pools running_ he grinned before turning to Max to give her a _helpful piece of wisdom, about being 'a celebrity of Terminal City'…_ but the glare she threw at him, stopped him in his tracks.

"Alright Max," he said cautiously "you win." Max threw him a highly suspicious look.

"_Maybe_ I was calling the kid 'baby' to make the whole thing less real." He continued uncomfortably "maybe… I was doing a whole lot of stuff, but this whole situation is screwed-up. I'm not exactly father material am I?" he said stuffing his hands into his pockets "but if you want to name to kid go right ahead." He ended dully.

"Stop being such a little fool Alec, this isn't Manticore and he doesn't need to be known by his number. He's your kid as well, and you have to be included in his naming." She snapped

"Something you picked up from ordinaries _right_?"

"Well he's half yours technically _right_" she retorted sourly "he's going to be _free_ Alec. I don't want 'baby' to just be a substitute for '946', he deserves a name, just like every body else."

They stared stonily at one another before Alec spoke again.

"_Fine_ Max," he sighed exasperated "but it sure hell won't be just be another one of your spur of moment naming ceremonies." He smirked.

"Fine" Max spat, already frustrated. "I'll meet you in an hour"

"What? You don't have the time to waste over giving _your own son_ a _name_?" he cried out scandalised, surprised she hadn't already thrown a punch.

"I'm going to call OC to bring more books." She stated

"Books?" he answered dubiously.

"On baby names." She said curtly, giving him a dirty look. "If you hadn't been in hiding for _four hours_. I wouldn'thave had to ask OC to bring all that stuff down here with her to help me to name _our _son. Although right now her presence would be more welcome than _some!_" she growled, storming off.

…

Max, OC and Alec sat in the bombsite that used to be the sitting room. Lists, baby books and hats stuffed with slips of paper littered the floor like casualties. Max tensely sat crossed legged in the centre of the room, with OC opposite her and Alec draped on the sofa softly moaning.

"Ok boo's so we've narrowed it down to seven names. You two need to stop messin around with Original Cindy's time and pick a _name_ already!"

"Can't we just pick a name out of a hat?" Alec appealed, before he dodged two pillows being simultaneously thrown at him, and wincing when OC shrieked:

"_Oh no_! Don't you _dare_! Now. I. Didn't. Lug. All of them, heavy books, down here so you could just _pick a name out of a hat_... that is how this mess got started in the _first_ place" she ended wildly gesturing at the cluttered room.

"What are the names?" Max interrupted. OC turned from Alec shooting him a dirty look before facing Max with a small zebra stripped notebook.

"Luca, Caley, Zasha, Tyrique, Noah, Taarriq or Asho."

"Poor kid," Alec muttered.

"Bo. Rowdy. Neo. Bubba and Max Jr. were not up for discussion, Alec!" raked Max, temper finally flaring up.

"Poor kid," echoed OC.

"Asho, Tyrique and Noah are such heavy names to live up to..." Max mused visibly trying to calm down.

"Like _Alec_ isn't?" he taunted, watching Max in amusement as she attempted to kill him, _the protector of men_ with a glare, _again_ "…anyway, _Caley_ and _Zasha_ sound like girls names… he won't be able to lift his head in public"

"Can't be Noah" OC stated before two pairs of eyes swung in her direction "look, I'm sorry boos, that is a beautiful baby, but that boy could scream for Seattle, he is _anything but_ peaceful"

"So that leaves Luca…" Alec mused, a small smile tugging on his lips.

"I like it." Max murmured.

"Thank God" OC muttered, poking at her legs with her beautifully manicured fingers, because they had fallen asleep.

…

(A/N Caley – brave warrior, Zasha – people's defender, Tyrique – saver of people, Noah – peace, Taarriq – morning star, Asho – pure of heart. Bo – living, Rowdy.- loud, spirited, Neo –new, Bubba – brother. The Max Jr. part is funny, but I had two versions of this story, the other one where the baby is a girl is hilarious… sorry you'll never see it.)

(A/N Sorry if the references to the National Guard are wrong… just so not bothered anymore – research sucks… and I probably won't update for awhile now, going back to school this coming week.)


	10. Photograph

_In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby_

…

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or Dark Angel itself. If I did I would be laughing maniacally on the empire of my billions at Fox, who could never shut me down, and my head would be gigantic because of all of the love from the millions of fans who also knew that it was sick (physically, mentally) to axe a series which still had so much potential. I, am here, as only a fan fiction authoress.

….

(A/N: Hah! Half-term, Praise the Lord! I'll try to add a few more chapters for you all. Thank you for reading! If you haven't don't be stingy and _review_! If you don't understand, think something is totally weird or can't stand the fic review (no shame!) … I may be more inclined to e-mail back biting little remarks if you do say crappy things, but it is all good, all the time, lol. How many years do you all think that DA fan fiction will keep on being written? Even after the show was tragically axed people are only watching now and falling in love with it, the answer is: there will never be an end! Petition for its return -.- (as soon as I re-find the link/site/address-thingy I'll post it on my review page) Dark Angel Forever! Whoooo! A longer chapter for you)

Photograph

Max lay on the examining table her crimson top bunched up around her shoulders revealing the smooth skin that lay beneath it. Fine runes lined her back as intricate designs. As fine tremors worked their way through her… the trouble was she knew that it wasn't all down to the cold surface that was pressed against her bare stomach; but rather the fact that she could feel his hazel gaze watching her so intently…

"Hurry up Alec." Max snapped.

She honestly could not believe how she got roped into this…

_Was it not enough that her face littered every public wall in Seattle, that she was labelled as the leader of the terminal city Transgenics… yet another 'lab-made abomination'?_

_Was it not enough that the **ancient message **encoded in her DNA – (created by a rouge scientist formally belonging to a 2000 year old breeding cult determined to take over the world had **seen the light**, and created the means to combat such a gruesome end with super soldiers) – was popping up and disappearing all over her body like nobody's business… it was as if whatever higher power there was, wanted her to crack under the pressure and give out peep shows of the damn things!_

'_Whenever you have the time…' Dix had said._

Honestly, she didn't see why _whenever she had the time_, had to be when _everybody else_ was busy and _Alec_ was the only one available to photograph the damn things. Somebody out there hated her she decided… excluding the happy normal collection of people.

…

Alec shook his head. It wasn't like he asked to do this. In fact this was the last thing he wanted to do with the tension that he had noticed slipping between them again… this was the last thing he needed… Max lying on a table, baring her golden skin to him…

It was laughable that _he _was the only one available to take to photos… and even stranger that Max _consented _to such a thing…

The soft electric whir of the camera could be heard as Alec took a succession of quick shots… trying his best to ignore the black lace bra, that seemed to be determined… designed… to mock and torture him simultaneously.

"Alec…" she said again irritated, it was taking too long…

"Almost finished," he muttered just about to tell her to sit up when he noticed some of the runes starting to fade out… but before he could tell her, they appear again… just below her bra hook, and before he knows what he's doing, he's reaching a finger to the inky looking markings… feather light touches tracing them as if he were committing them to memory…

Max stills and the room becomes eerily silent.

"Max..." _did his voice sound… slightly strangled to him?_ He licked his lips uncertainly, "they've uh, moved around." He said, eyes darting to anywhere but to her.

Wordlessly Max sat up and pulled the whole top off, moving the pool of dark hair to rest upon her nape.

He slid the left strap down to snap the rune underneath it… and almost groaned out loud when he seeing a few peeking out at him from beneath the hook. Letting out a silent plea he unhooks it, and only paused slightly… taking in the curve of her neck, the swells of her breasts, and the gracefulness of her body...

…He takes the pictures in record time, gently hooking the bra back up again, and righting the strap before turning away to collect the sparse equipment that had been brought into the room; in record time Max had jumped off the table, had her jacket on and was fingering the small camera he had left in her reach.

"Thanks. I uh, have to get these to Logan." She said quickly

"Anytime Max," he replies shrugging, glancing over his shoulder at her, she stood indecisively at the door, her brow slightly furrowed; with a sigh, he turned around to face her fully.

"What? Do you want a repeat performance?" he purrs before giving her a little grin, her only response, is to snort and shot him a dirty look before disappearing out of the door.

His cocky grin fades as a thoughtful one clouds his features.

…

"Hey." She said smiling, hanging on the door frame. For a second, it seemed like nothing had ever changed. He was there, she was there, and they had all the time in the world.

"Hey you," he replied, his smile soft and… sad… and just like that, the spell was broken.

Max shook herself a little. The old days were gone. Reminiscing now, just hurt.

She walked further into the room and stopped short a foot or so away from him - the closest she would allow herself these days.

She tried to ignore how the blue eyes tried to pierce into hers.

"I wanted to see if you have any new info for me on those pictures you took." She told him, getting straight to the point… _there was **no point** in hanging around,_ she thought to herself harshly apparently wondering absently to an old bookcase to stare at the ancient books cluttered on it.

Logan snapped back into the calm, no-nonsense role he had cultivated over the years and drawled slowly:

"I've got a few things about the runes…but nothing clear… are… are there any more runes appearing?"

"Yeah, but nothing new," she shrugged, "they're repositioning themselves several times before settling back into the original positions."

Logan stroked his chin thoughtfully

"Oh." He said slowly before quickly glancing up at her "did you want me to record them on camera?"

"Uh, no," she replied awkwardly; almost wanting to kick herself but realising that she just had to get on with it – she took a calming breath.

"Alec already has."

The silence in the room was so thick…

"Oh, I see." He replied after awhile, a sudden stiffness entering his movements as he turned round to gather together piles of paper.

Her heart almost broke _Do you?_ She thought sadly. _I'm doing this for you… its best, even if it hurts._

"My lot at TC want to help out too, help figure this bitch out." she told him, taking the handfuls of paper he had collected for her. "Thanks."

"No problem." He said easily turning back to the screen; if he would have turned around he would have seen the sudden vulnerability in her face as she looked after him…

There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much that they had let become unsaid… her expression soon cleared and the comforting steel in her straightened.

"Bye." She settled for instead, turning to leave.

Logan watched her reflection disappear from his screen.

"Bye." He said to the silent room.

**

* * *

**

Two weeks had passed and the relative 'peace' surrounding terminal city was starting to make every one of the TC residents edgy… but in those two weeks their research team had managed to find some answers behind the runes.

The analysis had come through, and a select few were gathered into an old conference room in the research area.

"Well?" said Max fighting the childish urge to shout out '_no not yet_!' an irritating habit she had noticed her old roommate Kendra choose to display on occasions when she was trying to figure out a problem… or a surprise… but the problem for Max was that she really wished she had _nothing,_ to do with_ this_ little _surprise_.

"From what we've gathered so far" said Yan, a small, with dark eyes and hair "there are… explained to be three cycles. The first basically contains the history of the familiars."

"How far back does this 'history' span" asked Max, not being able to stop the tendril of interest that sparked through her.

"I have no idea," came the blunt reply, "any references relating to time's before the particular _'event'_, are described as the 'dark times'," Max raised a brow, "and from what we're discerning it seems to be almost… a creation story of its own," Yan said pausing.

"It would be," Max said darkly, thinking of all the happy psychopaths that had been set loose on the word as a consequence of whatever 'beginning' was supposed to have taken place.

"A mythological story, if you will." Continued Yan with bland voice… which was only _slightly _coloured by bits of the story that seemed intriguing to her, "it refers to a stage of 'enlightenment' brought about by the 'first', the warrior named Kellan."

"Warrior," said Alec shaking his head before rolling his eyes "right."

Yan paused again "the second stage regards the task of 'domination'… but no matter how much we try to find otherwise, there seems to be nothing else to these - _stories_" she ended, the slight tremble in her voice betraying the frustration she must have been feeling, "dates… era's… everything alludes to the _'one' _but these sequence of affairs could have taken place at _any _moment in time… and why these runes are manifesting themselves on your skin know… we still do not know, I suspect we will have to wait until the second cycle actually starts, to obtain the relevant information.."

"And as for the third cycle it is still as yet unknown to us."

"But we know do know that first cycle," she said staring levelly at Max "is soon to be coming to an end."

Max sat back in the chair she had been sitting on. "And we have no idea what the Familiar's want regarding this information. Or what they already know about it or what they want to do a as a consequence of our possessing it."

"A month at the most," said Yan collecting her coloured papers from the floor.

The room was left in a contemplative silence.

* * *

"…And then little fella just… hit him…" continued the whispered voice

"…and he accused her of bringing about the pulse." Sighed OC hanging over the couch, "Yeah Joshua, I know." She ended tiredly

She glanced over at Max and Alec who were glaring at one another from across the room of Joshua's apartment. They were two grown adults and acting like children… but then again, this was the quietest they had been around each other for a few weeks, it made no sense at all. Circumstances aside – _and they were pretty wack circumstances _she said to herself thinking of little Luca – the two _had_ been getting along so much more better… remembering the easy way they would interact but now… they were like they were in the beginning, more were like two cats, than anything… OC's mouth twitched… she wondered what the two would think of her little analogy. She knew it wasn't in her imagination when she saw one of them flinch a little from the harsh words they flung at one another, or the way one would stalk about when the other wasn't around… even if they were the cause of the disappearance, and so for the past few weeks OC, Gem and Joshua had become the unofficial mediators between the two.

"Hey Josh" she said "how do you feel like getting out of here for a while?"

"Blow this popsicle stand" Joshua said nodding his head vigorously.

At the shuffling at the other side of the room Max's head came up

"Where are you going?"

"Going out boo, to tell you the truth, sitting here, watching you two glaring at each other, is kinda depressing."

"That's for sure" affirmed Joshua

"Josh, OC…"

"Not a word boo" she said pursing her lips and wagging a finger "and you can sit right back down pretty boy." She said without even turning around, knowing that Alec was about to get up.

"When I brought baby-boo back today from his playgroup you were like this." She said waving a hand in their direction "when I came to TC _three days _ago, you were like this." She said shaking her head and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"You two have to fix up, 'coz you have a whole lot more to screw up now." She said glancing meaningfully at Luca's Moses basket. "Let's bounce doggy-boi." Joshua fell in step behind her.

They sat in silence, and suddenly Alec's phone started to shrill. _Thank God,_ was the unanimous thought; and after a few curt responses, Alec was up and already making his was to the door.

"Problem?" she said, keeping her tone of voice light… not fooling either of them

"Nothing for you to worry about," he replied, hardly glancing at her

Her mouth thinned.

"See you later Max"

The door banged shut for the second time, and just like she thought like clockwork, Luca started up again.

…

The door slammed shut, Max did not look up.

Alec found himself being drawn further into the room by the droning of the television. Placing the key in his pocket; his only thought was that he _was _the only one who ever really watched the thing. He found Max sitting crossed legged on the floor, a few bright coloured books lay ignored on the floor as Max bounced a content Luca on her lap. Alec raised a brow.

He watched them watching TV for a while.

Suddenly one pair off eyes snapped up to meet his, but he found that they were only momentarily distracted from the leaping images that had enraptured them a only a few seconds ago… smaller eyes were soon followed by larger, darker eyes, ones which still held a silent challenge.

They stared stonily at one another before Max briefly broke eye contact, to glance behind him,

"She's not coming Max" he said bluntly, watching as Luca was inevitably enticed back to the flickering screen. "She went home, said that she couldn't baby-sit us any more and that _all_ her boo's needed to learn how to stand by themselves for a little while; said that she'll make up the time when we're both less grouchy."

Max stared at him. "So what are _you_ doing here?"

There was a slight pause before Alec cocked his head to the side.

The screen blinked and Luca let out a noise in response.

The wind made the curtains billow.

Finally,

"I live here," came the short reply.

Silence

And finally,

Max cracked a small smile, feeling it grow wider as Alec took a minute step backwards.

He seems to notice his slip up as soon as she did, because he suddenly stood up straighter and continued in a bored tone "I've just finished tying up a few loose ends in TC…" he shrugged "figured I might as well crash for a while, but maybe I'll just…"

"This is ridiculous," muttered Max

Looking up to find him watching her cautiously; she removed the remote from its hiding place, waved it at him and tossed it onto the sofa.

She rolled her eyes to the seat next to her and he moved to it silently… not before snatching the remote on his way there.

Luca blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why the multicolour jiggles had turned into even stranger multicoloured lumps.

Max winced as a pre-pulse children's programme paraded itself on the TV. She looked from Alec to Luca. They both seemed strangely enthralled with the thing… but for the life of her, she didn't really understand the appeal of TV, and she damn well couldn't find out what the hell was so funny about a mouse and his idiot sidekick trying to '_take over the world_ …'

* * *

(A/N2 -.- unfortunately I've wasted like half of the half-term . where does it go? But I'll definitely post at least one other chapter this week. I reply to personal messages on the link 3 and if anybody is interested the name Danielle means only God can judge.) 


	11. Transgenic Travellers

_1n the midst of Terminal City's siege, where Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be and the coming days seem darker, Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed ever possible… a baby_

…

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or Dark Angel itself. If I did I would be laughing maniacally on the empire of my billions, at Fox studios – who could never shut me down - my head would be gigantic because of all of the love from the millions of fans who also knew that it would be a sick (physically and mentally thing to do) to axe a series which still possesses so much potential. _I_, am here, as only a fan fiction authoress.

…

(A/N1 I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who's read this fic, reviewed, those who have gone on to check out my profile page, checked out my favourite authors and stories and most importantly those who have encouraged me to keep on going, your support is greatly appreciated, because I'm writing for people besides myself, indulging others besides me… gives things a bit more purpose.)

(A/N2 The way people kept on referring to how well I capturing the characterisations and emotions, blew me away; but I felt as if I was veering off topic for the past few chapters - or not going as far as I wanted to go with them, Originally I had already written until chapter 5, had a sketchy middle and already formulated an ending, so I've struggled and have been coercing my imagination to do my bidding, lol. I love spontaneity but when it comes to my fics I become irrationally regimented… which is shown in the perfect example of this new chapter, which originally _was_ only one, but morphed into five separate ones… _of course _I had a basic plan… but boom! It went up in smoke and then they just kept on "popping up, like daisies!" Emerging… multiplying… like rabid fic monsters.

I also went back and did a marathon with my DA box sets… --.-- hour long episodes… lack of sleep… mood swings… yeah; overall I had a really good time. Any way I did it because I needed to get back to the core of my story, what ever it was – hence going back for inspiration and the gap between this and hopefully more fluent updates.)

…

jenwin23, purplebunnywabbit, Ani-maniac494, djonie, SpirtKez, Loisen, Brenny, p3karen, GuestTypePerson, Jamio219, predatorynature, lakergirl08, Deirax, src13, DA4life, hello20075, Flashes09, Jo Harvelle, SakuraAkira365, Mahine, TKD-Princess, Elliesmeow, Silwolf, Care189, timetowaste247, alexceaser!!!!!!!! And everybody who had put my story on their alerts!!!! Lovin all my faithfuls and newbies! Thank you for leaving comments, (I love it when people big me up, and show love ;) so I'm returning the favour.)

A round of applause! (Lol, I'm so sad.)

888

**

* * *

**

In the previous chapter:

…**88**

Fine tremors worked their way through her… but the trouble was that she knew that it wasn't all down to the cold surface that she was pressed against to... but the fact that she could feel his hazel gaze watching her so intently…

…**88**

Two weeks had passed and the relative 'peace' surrounding terminal city was starting to make every one of the TC residents edgy… but in those two weeks their research team had managed to find some answers behind the runes… the analysis had come through. "From what we've gathered so far" said Yan, a small, with dark eyes and hair "there are… explained to be three cycles. The first contains the history of the familiars… all references relating to dates before the _event_ of 'enlightenment' are described as the 'dark times'… it' almost… a creation story of its own," Yan said pausing. "The second stage regards the task of 'domination'… why these runes are manifesting themselves on your skin now… we still, do not know. I suspect we will have to wait until the second cycle actually starts, to obtain the relevant information… but we know do know that first cycle," she said staring levelly at Max "is soon to be coming to an end, we give it a month, at the most"

**

* * *

**

Transgenic Travellers 

"There have been many disturbing reports, over the new numbers of Transgenic's across the country who have been making their way to Terminal City, Seattle. There has been a public outcry from the citizens of the city. Military forces have been stationed around the area for just over a few months and tensions are running high… "

(Early morning)

Somewhere beneath sector ten Seattle…

_**Drip, **_

_**drip…**_

_**Drip, **_

_**drip,**_

_**drip...**_

_**Drip,**_

_**drip, **_

_**drip, **_

_**drip… **_

_**Dri…**_

_She was sick of the damn dripping!_

The tunnel's walls towered above them, like a gigantic toppled stone cylinder… a cavity extending onwards for miles and miles…

She glanced at the weary Transgenics marching onwards beside her… they'd been going on for weeks.

When Manticore had gone up in flames, the majority of the group had been scattered all over the country, on their respective missions… or (smaller) bases.

Of course, it hadn't taken long for them all to realise that they'd been cut loose… no longer valuable assets but dangerous units; no longer containable.

Terminal City had seemed the best place to relocate to… where else _would_ they go to?

_**Drip, drip, drip, drip… **_

Sure there were other options… over the years there'd been plenty of little 'accidents' concerning chemical waste, and areas of land being cordoned off. Unsafe for the masses (but not for genetically enhanced soldiers), of course all of these areas were all equally unappealing… _but, Terminal City was… different_

_**She**__ was there. _

_The rogue, the recaptured… _she knew she wasn't the only one journeying to TC for that express reason… _it was almost ridiculous but… it felt as if they were all… migrating there for a __**reason**_

…The pace of the group picked up again but nobody uttered a word... after all, _why would a Manticore soldier complain? _

_**Drip, drip, drip... **_

_But that __**lousy **__excuse for a CO just… __**keeps on **__going!_ She growled silently. _She understood the urgency of the situation… but by going as far as they __**had**__ been going, and for the duration of time they'd been travelling… he was __**really**__… pushing it. __Even for Transgenic's burning out due to exhaustion was entirely possible… and… they were… __**relatively**__ safe for the time being… _

A younger unit stumbled beside her and her hand flashed out immediately, grabbing an arm to steady the child before it was completely submerged in the filthy stagnate looking water… her grip lessened when she was given a ghost of a smile in thanks…

She patted the little girl on the head in response and nudged the child in front of her

_**Drip, drip…**_

…Glaring through the darkness at the C.O she could barely see, she cursed him into oblivion…

_When they actually got in to TC, she wouldn't care if she __**neve**__r saw that __**miserable excuse**__ for a Transgenic __**ever, again… **__C.O my fucking arse _she snorted.

_**Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip…**_

She stepped in something unidentifiable… her mouth compressed itself into a thin line…

_One click; it's __**just**__ one click more. _

_He recognised this scene,_ he realised

_From a book, or some sort or other…_

Piles of discarded machinery, wire mesh and plain old junk he supposed the ordinaries considered no longer useful, where deserted in hordes.

_Laying as a testimony to their creators' unpredictable, ever changing, malevolent thought processes, which strove for the 'better' in the midst of chaos, spawned by their own insatiable greed for knowledge and power…_

And so, he glanced about at the monuments of neglect… and _guessed _that they were after all in the right place… _right where their kind belonged…_

Concrete walls, stood abandoned like carcasses… long ago desecrated by deluded youths with nothing left to lose, the potential contamination of the prohibited area must have been too weak a deterrent, compared with the thrill of defying the law, and risking life…

The charred remains of buildings, were tired, and looked ready to collapse at any moment…

There was an eerie tone to the empty streets, he acknowledged,

_An elephant's graveyard_

_The place reminded him of an elephant's graveyard, _a to which the mighty animals would make their final journey, to die.

_Did it reflect the name of the area? Terminal City? Their last stop? _

_Of course there could be a different meaning to it, but he highly doubted, that the place represented the opportunity of moving on to bigger and better things…_

Unable to contain himself he let loose the cackle that was his laugh…

…It hung, and vibrated through the air, sharp and stark against the stifling silence…

The human looking X's spared him their mistrustful scowls.

The smile faded from his distended mouth… but his sharp teeth were momentarily barred, as he flung back at them wickedly, feral grin…

_To tell the truth… he couldn't stand the freaks_… he growled to himself in a disgustingly obvious, distinctive tone… he scratched his ear in semi-frustration… another categorising, characteristic…

_He couldn't wait to leave them_ he thought to himself, allowing his 'smile' to recede behind a mask of apathy

_He didn't… understand… they smelled like Manticore… like the Manticore born… _

…_But they walked around like they had more right to move around the world with more freedom than he and his series, because of the __**same**__ experiment that had brought them __**all **__into being… _

_If he wasn't mistaken it'd actually been the genetics of the __**earlier **__series that had made the later X's become what they were today… with most of their so called 'defects' corrected… _he smiled darkly _they __**owed**__ him…_

They glared at him, and he glared back, he supposed that _since they'd taken the form of the people that had created them, they'd inherited more of their 'charitable' traits… their contempt for one thing…_

He shrugged and kept on walking, as they had been doing for days. Soon they would be at the boundary to Terminal City.

His grim thoughts were never allowed to move past his - unfortunately, expressive eyes. He managed to keep them to himself… _Whatever, _he decided, _when they actually reached TC it was bye bye to the 'unit' he'd gotten himself entangled in… _it wasn't like he'd ever been apart of a 'unit' _before _anyway_…_

A bitter smile was etched onto his face, his eyes where not as guarded when he saw the fellow transhuman beside him nod minutely in understanding… _after all, there wasn't much choice of places for where __**his **__kind could escape to. _

**

* * *

**

…There hadn't been much light in the tunnels but the enhanced eyesight they'd been 'graced' with, had kept them from relying on the grimy walls of the wretched place… what had flowed over their boots, she guessed, had been a mixture of chemical and bio-originated waste…

She shook her head violently and dragged in another lungful of open air, glancing around she caught a glimpse of the 'C.O'…

Honestly… Transgenic's from the smaller bases where such pain's in the arse… but _this one, _was such a stickler for 'rules' that it made even _her_ seem uninhibited…

…She was the last out of the waste tunnels save for another 'older' Transgenic… she wondered what the age of the oldest living Transgenic would be… coming to the conclusion that it couldn't be more than thirty, or thirty-five… or maybe even forty at most. She shrugged her attention being caught by her surroundings, knowing that the mortality of 'those' older units was debatable anyway… probably just as much or more, than the question of the mortality for the rest of the prototypes… she seriously doubted that _any _the earlier prototypes had survived long against experimentation stage any way

She glared at the _'_C.O' _the arrogant pig, _in an almost childish game neither refused to back down and gaze away first… but her gaze jumped and broke away as his did. She scanned the surrounding area again…

Something, was _seriously, wrong. _

The hairs on his head stood on end...

And, his mouth curled into what could be considered, as a rakish smile

_What was going on? _

Adrenaline pumped through his blood…

…_they were being… hunted?_

He looked at the unit around him…

In this way he supposed; there wasn't much difference between them at all.

They all sprung into action using their skills, they had been taught separately to become the _well oiled machines they'd been designed to become…_

It only took a few minutes before he realised, that there was _something, wrong… _

_Their attackers were… moving almost as fast as they were… and they were also, unnaturally strong…_

He ducked down and snapped a punch into the nearest gut…

_They were also using the same types of moves…_

He paused, coming face to face with another transhuman…

He was unsurprised when the slight pause was exploited, and he found himself in the crowd of his 'unit', surrounded.

A familiar looking transhuman stepped forward, a sawn off shot gun slung over his shoulder, cigar in place and reptilian eyes watching them with a perverse sort of amusement.

Flicking ash to the concrete ground, he pointed his gun to the captured unit and then gestured to the land around them

"Welcome," he said in a gravely voice "to Terminal City."

…the Transgenics around him began to laugh.

**

* * *

**

A welcome? She thought to herself

What kind of madness was this?

What about a clap on the back and a "well done soldier!"?

Transgenics had gone mad.

"How much further is it?" She questioned the X-5 male beside her; he seemed to be the leader of the unit who had 'captured' them

He only nodded to a building in the distance "the outpost" he supplied.

…so she guessed that was where they were going…

At least one thing hadn't changed about Transgenics, their lack of disclosure about 'details'.

"What _was_ that soldier?" she suddenly burst out, thoroughly irritated and no longer able to hold back her frustration.

_**She **__had been __**caught**_

She sniffed indignantly of it all…well at least it had been by Transgenics and not by the shamefully organised 'traps' devised by the good citizens of Seattle, or the 'slightly' more dangerous military.

The X-5 beside her smiled amiably, she blinked, the words she wanted to fire halted.

_Huh,_ _unexpected, _she thought as she found herself warming to the smile… _it had been… awhile, since she'd been shown such an open expression by another person._

"As you know" he began, surprising her by engaging in conversation, "this north east sector is the weakest right now… the least watched. So far, we've benefited from the lack of observation but…" he trailed off, but he didn't need to explain.

She knew, they all knew, _they couldn't afford to take __**anything**__ for granted_

She nodded, and concentrated on the building in the distance.

They continued to walk on in silence.

**

* * *

**

So _this _was Terminal City.

He glanced around with weary eyes, at the bustling place they'd arrived in.

His eyes caught a sight of a dark haired X-5 female looking to the entire world like she was unashamedly, going to bodily assault the leader of her unit…

Of course he was unsurprised when a few panicked members of the unit stepped forward to dissuade her (or restrain if necessary). He also noticed the amused expressions of the Transgenics of Terminal City… but the interceptions of others were not needed.

The women reigned in her emotions and stepped back, he guessed, spitting a few choice words at the C.O., he guessed it was, and stalked away.

He found a smile forming on his lips as quite a few of the unit broke away and followed the woman, leaving the C.O fuming

… For some reason, he thought, maybe interacting in future with the other series, may not be a complete waste of time.

**

* * *

**

(In an interview with a Seattle resident...)

"…And sir what do you have to say about the situation right now?"

"I'm getting outta this damn place"

"You're leaving Seattle?"

Deep and intelligent eyes came to rest on the reporters face, "Look kid" came the gruff voice, "I haven't lived through the pulse only to watch something _else_ blow up, just to replay that madness all over again."

"What do you mean?"

"All I'm saying's that now those things are out there there's no telling _what _could happen, things that we were _never _supposed to know about are being exposed before our very eyes…" He broke off and studied the woman opposite him. "Oh _come on_ - I mean, how'd you think they'll be removed from that place, peacefully?" he shook his head. "I don't know… and I don't care. Just taking me and my truck and getting the hell outta this place."

**

* * *

**

(A/N3 I was anxious to post something today, more chapters will be uploaded within the next few days. Coincidentally, does anybody actually know what sector TC is in? And what type of gun Mole has? Not knowing these little things infuriate me, I get hung up on them.)

(A/N4 sorry about the format, if it turns out dodgy, I tried to fix it but I'm compleately useless at it)


	12. The Outpost

* * *

x-x-x

_1n the midst of Terminal City's siege, where Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be and the coming days seem darker, Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed ever possible… a baby_

x-x-x

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or Dark Angel itself. If I did I would be laughing maniacally on the empire of my billions, at Fox studios – who could never shut me down - my head would be gigantic because of all of the love from the millions of fans who also knew that it would be a sick (physically and mentally thing to do) to axe a series which still possesses so much potential. _I_, am here, as only a fan fiction authoress.

x-x-x

(A/N1 Thank you for taking the time to read it. The guilt of not updating drives me back see – I just can't understand the other authors who have people reviewing and don't feel guilty about the lack of updates… they have no hearts I tell you, no hearts! T-T Sorry lamenting over the fics I am also waiting on…)

x-x-x

* * *

x-x-x

_In the last chapter: "There have been many disturbing reports over the new numbers of Transgenic's from all over the country who've been making their way to Terminal City Seattle. There has been a public outcry from the citizens of the city. Military forces have been stationed around the area for just over a few months and tensions are running high… "_

x-x-x

* * *

**/X\X/X\**

**/X\X/X\**

* * *

xxx

The Outpost 

xxx

They stumbled in dirty and lost.

Their young faces wearing expressions ranging from absolutely dazed, to completely defiant... but in all their responses whether they were seen as favourable or not, every single person snapped to attention when a soldier of superior rank looked, or spoke their way.

It couldn't be helped or hidden, it was ingrained, it was habit, to receive and take on orders.

Some may have chosen to disregard lifetimes of training, but it was a factor that could never truly be forgotten… it lingered like the smell of burning and clung like a second nature.

x-x-x

The sky was layered with angry clouds, fit to burst at any given moment; as miserable droplets descended onto Terminal City.

Alec and Yan were on duty that morning. Recording the numbers of entrants in to the city; they were situated in the shell of a building they all referred to as 'the outpost.' It happened to be one of the last standing buildings that were actually occupational in that particular area… from what they understood, long ago there had been riots in the area coupled with the chemical leakage an the pulse, the area had been left destitute, and had never been restored

However, no matter how vigilant patrols were, there was still a distinct lack of life in the area. Transgenics, generally, were found to make for the centre of Terminal City and stay there. The reason was unfathomable and probably in the circumstances, unwise… but it was almost as if… they were thriving in the communities they were forbidden to cultivate, explore and integrate into to when they were within Manticore.

Fat rain clouds spat in dissatisfaction as Alec surveyed the grey day, and the hooded Transgenics that making their way through to TC.

In Terminal City, the north east quarter of that sector was currently the least observed by the outside world, the least guarded… and so like the good little Transgenics they all were. The opportunity to enter the city (that wouldn't as easy to exploit in the near future) was seized… and so for the past couple of weeks, the area had been the main point of entry.

…Yan nodded to another leader of the data collecting process, the woman was accompanying a large group of Transgenics into the actual city… those were the first groups, which had arrived earlier that morning… the first few groups that day that had been subjected to Mole's classic 'welcoming party'. Alec smirked thinking of it... actually _he hadn't been on welcoming duty for a while… if Max would just stop riding him on that being a bad example crap… it was a well known fact that certain Transgenics need a bit more 'calming down'… and it wasn't like that X-5 had never regained consciousness… in fact he and that transgenic were on quite amiable grounds… now…_

The weight of the siege straining on all their nerves… even the most placid were found to be especially snappy at times… and it didn't help that at the moment it was unclear where they stood in the eyes of all their adversaries… energy as expected, was often channelled in to _sometimes strange _mediums _like the welcoming party_… but the main thing was that they were all being kept on their toes… the precarious position they were in demanded the rejection of complacency.

x-x-x

"So, how's your day been?" Alec tried; smiling down at the petit quiet woman beside him that was Yan. Distracting him self from the dreary scenery.

Yan looked up from her clipboard, her still dark eyes resting on him… he _guessed _that the twitching of a brow _could've _been interpreted as a reply… of sorts…

"Ok then." He nodded, acknowledging the quiet 'humph' released by the person next to him with a smile.

Despite the abrupt silence, neither found themselves to be uncomfortable, it had been a mutually founded agreement. Which involved Alec doing most of the talking, and Yan usually not uttering a word; she did not, as a rule, engage in 'unnecessary chit chat'… and Alec liked to believe that she listened to what he said occasionally.

…Thick clouds tumbled around themselves in the sky and the raindrops stopped falling. The smell of city after rain, rose in the air, pavements were riddled with puddles. In boredom, Alec studied the person beside him … and he came to the same conclusion which he always came to… it was that, despite however lack-lustre Yan's eyes may appear to be on first inspection. There was still an unshakable feeling that there was _something_…compelling behind her eyes and blunt nature… which when thinking about,was _**not**__ unlike Max's… _where one could find to have the ability to leave bruises…_ even if unintentional… _Alec rolled his eyes… _but then again… that __**was**__, of course, if you were inclined to be affected by a crazy woman's mood swings… _

Alec shook his head slightly and sighed before nodding to Yan in the direction of a group loitering about the large entrance, or hole, which could be loosely described by some, as the front doors… he watched a stony faced Yan resolutely set off in their direction… some times he wondered _**why**__ he gravitated to such… unique, people… _or maybe it was that_ they in fact gravitated to him…_

"_Do_ you, or do you _not _command this unit?" he heard her say in a tone of voice that threatened to become rapidly, frosty… Leaning back to observe he let his mind wander… he'd noticed that Yan was…_ like how he used to be,_ butsort of in reverse. Instead of being outgoing and carefree… _or at least maintaining the pretence of it, she kept a tight rein on not only her mannerisms of speech but movements in general. _His eyes grew shadowed; _of course it was just one of the ways in which the Manticore __**alumni**__ adapted and coped_… he shrugged… _a form of defence._ He snorted, _it only __**happened **__to be that __**his **__way of coping was the more socially acceptable out of the two approaches_… he'd also noticed that _they'd both, for whatever reasons, learned to accept others into the 'space', that had before been solely reserved for themselves for such a long time…_

Of course he didn't need to be _told_ these things, he was… _emphatic about certain people_ he guessed…

His brow furrowed, hearing Yan in her controlled voice ordering the loiterers to behave more like soldiers. He sighed, and glanced at the clipboard that he held…

…_Maybe the reason Yan was… somewhat intriguing to him, was the fact that she was the only person who didn't seem to react (not just to him) but at __**all**__… and that sole reason made her the antithesis of __**somebody **__he knew_… he acknowledged, allowing a low chuckle to emanate from his throat… but for _whatever reason _it was. _It amused him almost as much as it did with Max to be around such a curious person_…_ well, as 'curious' as a genetically made super-soldier __**can**__ be. _

Rolling his eyes again, he surveyed the data on the clipboard and noticed a new group approaching, he made his way there. Decidedly, _totally pissed at Max for randomly assigning him to this job_…

x-x-x

_It didn't matter that things were slow moving he should at least be out there helping her in some way… _his pace slowed, _Max._ He almost stopped walking.

Things had become so off with them… and although he was loathed to admit it, if they didn't do something soon, they'd be right back to where they were before… barely even friends.

In the recent months they'd been able to open up to one another a lot more… but after the 'remote incident' the situation between himself and Max was… unpredictable, to say the least _(and this was compared to their usual interaction.) _Conversations weren't initiated unless absolutely necessary and they were limited to grounds which were 'neutral' like roofs… and needless to say the locations were generally always wherever Luca was.

The kid was unusually perceptive when it came to general undercurrents and so his general surroundings became automatically neutral, because _they were both still pretty much freaked out whenever something seemed to be wrong with the kid… not to mention that the added stress from their positions would make an already uncomfortable situation, unbearable... but they were good at covering things up, anyway… of course maybe not totally from each other, _he acknowledged grudgingly. _But it was enough to live in the same apartment and not blow up over an incredibly stupid thing, again_. He knew they'd come _so close _to destroying the tentative arrangement that it was unbelievable. …and so being the people they were, the outcome was that 'neutrality', was taken to a completely, different, level.

It had been a solid week, and still neither wanted to rock the boat, lest the damage be unsalvageable… but then again, neither of them made a move in attempt to sort out was so glaringly obvious.

The fact that: they were both disgustingly unfamiliar with the situation and their own reactions to it. Fact: they were behaving hesitantly and awkwardly… _and_ Alec had realised with distaste that they were in fact: - annoyingly, doing the _same thing _that he had once accused Max and Logan of doing on numerous accounts: skirting around the topic.

He didn't want to admit it… maybe even not to himself, but the chill he felt as a consequence of the wall growing between them… was incredibly lonely. They were flailing about and failing badly at their friendship… or what ever kind of relationship it was supposed to be. He didn't really care what it was, but he _did_ know he_ didn't _want to lose it…

x-x-x

"494 Sir!" Came the loud unified voice of an X-6 group who had snapped to attention upon recognising him. Alec blinked, and stared at them "stand down," he said, suddenly feeling tired. "We don't go by designations here" he added almost as an after thought. "We go by names. Mine's Alec."

Confusion marred their features, as they discretely looked between them…

Broken units were pouring in as usual… having been separated by the chaotic escape, death or being dissolved by the units own devices…

As the day wore on, it seemed like groupings mostly consisted of the younger units, aging from between six and sixteen.

He gaze lazily zoomed into the distance, units where being checked for outside devices and interference.

He grimaced in understanding as an X-6 resisted striking back, and another looked decidedly sick as a Gossamer used its senses to check for self radiating devices, or detected devices with unusually high frequencies. The genetically created animals - and they _were_ animals with _no trace of human DNA to be found in their them, looked like they'd emerged from a pre-pulse horror film. With their rubbery green hides, claw like feet, slitted eyes and shrilling cries. The reaction to them was usually an unusual mix of scepticism and horror._

_A stray group of hive X-7's (units cloned from each other, which shared bat DNA) had also been highly effective in finding such devices… as they could also be described as sophisticated scanning equipment… but that group was still currently under close observation, although some anomalies had been successful in compromising their programming, and making them less susceptible to… others who would gladly like to possess their abilities… their use in exterminating Transgenics in those months after the escape could never be over looked… because in some ways, their blind obedience was the most dangerous of all._

Alec's attention focused on the group before him again, he flashed them a brief smile. "Hey, don't worry about names, its not like you have to figure them out now… I mean I was _'given'_ my name… by accident even."

He smirked at the dubious expressions around him, and then rolled his eyes in what seemed like semi-defeat "Ok fine – whatever, what are your designations?"

"X-6 353! Sir Alec, Sir!"

"No, no, you don't have to call me-"

"X-6 987! Sir Alec - Sir!"

"Hey-"

He caught Yan's smirk from behind the group, and rolled his eyes… this had happened so many times already he wondered why he still bothered…

Yan laughed… it was so unusual that it took him by surprise, he smiled and the sun peeked out from behind the crowded sky.

"And you?" He said to the next one.

"X-6 555! Sir Alec! – Si-"

**X\X/X**

* * *

**X\X/X**

The day was slow moving; Max acknowledged, finding her self that afternoon dropping by the north east sector.

These days she had increasingly been feeling like some sort of mayor.

…The helpers at the TC crèche had all officially fallen in love with baby Luca; the child didn't seem to have any anxiety about being around strangers. In fact the little boy seemed to the relish new faces, sounds and sights… and of course, people who had professed their adoration of him…_was that _the reason_ why the child felt so relaxed?_ Max mused, as she had left him that day…_ that he feels somewhat safe? Can he even understand the concept of safety yet? _

Max shook her head and stopped her line of thinking… In fact the less she thought about Luca, while she was apart from him, the clearer things were… it was easy to allow your self to be disarmed and distracted by such a sweet face… and of course in thinking of that sweet little face, her thoughts would inevitably be accompanied by a different face. An older face, with the same eyes... and thinking about Alec was definitely off limits right now… she just… _didn't know how to deal with him… she didn't know what to think, _so, _so didn't want to go there now. It was just… too frustrating…_

Upon entering a building she found herself nodding to several Transgenics on duty. Some there that day solely as result of the TC rota that all Transgenics were involved in, but most of the other (more familiar) faces, she recognised as the regular placements. They were a mixture of burly anomalies, X's, and those that lacked the physical attributes of their own particular series but were designed and much more suited to such things as intelligence…

There wasn't much to the place, but it was the closest building to the wreck they called the outpost, it was also another one of the few best conditioned buildings in that area…

**X\X/X**

* * *

**X\X/X**

_**A few days ago in Max's 'office'**_

_A few council members gathered together to try and tackle the 'accommodation problem', because although while the Transgenics were doing their best to tackle the problem with their limited resources… there were not many places that were... liveable. Everybody was resilient and hard working… but the space problem wasn't being resolved fast enough, new people were coming in… _

_On that day Yan had also taken part of the meeting. It had been become more and more evident that despite her un-talkative ways she was a very influential Transgenic, with a good head on her shoulders… she was the most recent member of the council... _

"_I've been thinking… about this housing problem," said Max "I think its all down to the way how different series mainly keep to themselves. Recently it's gotten much better… but even in the boundaries left between the apartments could be used. If all series' were more spread out among themselves…" she continued as the rest of the group listened on quietly "… some groups don't seem to be integrating at all… Look at the psy ops" she said looking around "If with start with them, because they're so small in numbers they would be relatively easy to relocate..."_

_She was surprised to see Alec solemnly shaking his head._

"_That would not be a good idea" supplied Yan, who had in a strange turn of events decided to be the spokes person, for the rest… most of the other members nodded in grim agreement… _

_Sitting besides the suddenly sombre grouping Max felt distinctly, and disturbingly, out of place._ She looked around again, _no matter what way she looked at it; there would always be things that she wouldn't be able to understand about the rest of them…_

"_A lot of units still hold a severe distrust of the psy ops." Yan continued, while Max listened in silence._

_A lot of the council members murmured in agreement. _

"_In some bases, the pys ops were used more regularly than in others, and there is still a lot of animosity held towards them. From what we understand the Manticore board was trying to re-evaluate, and re-establish the limitations of the X-series mind. Some prototypes were rendered beyond reuse." _

_Max felt a chill rise around her, rendered beyond use? She hadn't known, or maybe didn't want to believe, that the psy ops units were capable of such damage…_

"_Slow integration is the best choice of action," came Yan's steady voice "or there will be a lot of unnecessary tension between series."_

_Max sighed, how was she supposed to be a leader if people didn't tell her these things?_

_Yan looked unruffled as she relayed the disturbing statements… and Alec, didn't have much of an expression on his face at all._

_Max paused, realising that they could not get back to being comfortable around each other while they avoided talking about so much… and the heart of it was that with the arrival of Luca, came the upheaval of many insecurities within both of them, most of which they never, ever, wanted to address…it was truly the obstacle of talking openly and freely to one another that was the most difficult for the two who had been trained and had survived by burying unwanted emotions… for the greater good… and not surprisingly sometimes for their own sanity as well…_

_x-x-x_

_**Could Max really handle this sudden new family member? Could she really allow herself to love someone unreservedly like that… because… that was what babies needed, right? Too be loved and cared for unreservedly? …but in the current situation, when it seemed very likely that she could loose her life along with those important to her, could she ever face that sort of pain again? **_

… _**It was a completely different kind of responsibility, that Alec had to deal with …he had never been depended on in such a way before. Did he want to belong? Could he handle freely and honestly bestowing and receiving affection? Could he accept it?**_

**X\X/X**

* * *

**X\X/X**

x-x-x

…Since that meeting (…among other things) the council members had been able to refine the entrance routine for Transgenics entering the city. From the initial meeting point of the outpost, new arrivals would be taken to a close by building where specialities could be listed, accommodation issued, general rules addressed… and on miserable days… like that one was… some more hospitable Transgenics would take it upon themselves to produce steaming bowls soup for the new arrivals who may not have eaten for weeks…

She spotted a quiet corner… it took her a few moments to realise that she was not the only one to find the bench, next to her sat a little boy, who sat strangely silently in the midst of the afternoon organised chaos.

"Hi" she said quietly… although she was certain the child had sensed her arrival, she didn't know what state he was in, and really didn't want to upset him unnecessarily. She smiled "what's your name?"

Green eyes shifted to hers, "I… don't know." he said in a small voice.

x-x-x

Max's face softened, registering the tremor in his voice being held in check… _he couldn't be more than six years old. _

She glanced at the clipboard in his hands… and as expected he had filled out most of the information on the sheet – to the best of his ability, but the space marked as 'name' was empty.

Max put her phone down on the bench between them… that was the thing about having no pockets…

"You don't have to pick a name right away." She said, but she was startled when water-filled eyes blinked up at her

"But I like _my _name."

Max's heart constricted, already knowing the answer to the question she was about to ask him

"Oh? And what is it?"

The boy pointed to his designation, X7-2-728, marked clearly on the sheet "isn't that a name?" he asked quietly, in a persistent voice, fiddling with her mobile and blinking hard at it.

Max shook her head to herself and smiled sadly. "…Nothing I guess" she answered softly… her mind in another time… _after all, hadn't she once questioned Zack about the exact same thing?_ "When I was younger" she began slowly "like you, I was told to decide on my name… I didn't get it at first, but it was …" she paused trying to find the words "something special, a secret from the guards and from the 'doctors', and technicians… Something special for _only_ you, _made_ by _you_, it was something they _couldn't_, no matter how_ hard _they tried to, take away from you."

She glanced down at him and saw his small hand clenched around her mobile, his down turned eyes was shielded by dark lashes…

She knew that he'd understood what she was trying to tell him.

He mumbled something.

x-x-x

"728?" she questioned softly, using his designation.

He mumbled something again and clutched at her phone again.

He blinked up at her and then handed her phone back to her in silence.

"Pat. My name is Pat"

"Pat huh?" she said smiling at the buttons on the phone: 7P, 2A, 8T. He nodded solemnly watching her reaction, "that's an awesome name" she beamed. Pat smiled at her as another small boy suddenly materialised by their sides, staring at the two of them with slanted grey eyes.

"I have a name." announced Pat to the new comer. "I made it myself"

"Is that good?" the other boy questioned, to which Pat nodded emphatically.

"Oh," the boy replied seeming to take in the answer, "well I have a name too; an X-5 gave me mine." He tagged on.

"What is it?" Max asked curiously, when Pat merely continued to nod in camaraderie

"Jess" the boy supplied shrugging not seeming to be particularly bothered about the whole 'naming' issue. Max chuckled lightly and then sighed, there was of course some Transgenics who couldn't care less about names or naming…

"What unit are you guys in?" she questioned, both boys looked down and Max looked sombrely between their down turned heads and small fisted hands.

"I understand." She said quietly. She stood up and put a comforting hand on each shoulder. She then steered them to a near by group

"Cathy two more," She said handed the now-completed forms to the woman who smiled in understanding and turned to talk to the trans-human at her side, (who had begun to gather the unit together.) She motioned the boys to her and whispered nodding to the woman in subject,

"She's a good woman, a _good, CO_" she confided, "a little free with the candy maybe, but she's ok."

She gave each boy a firm hand shake, to which they returned, smiling widely as if humouring her… to Max grinned again.

"I'm Max by the way" she said, thinking that introducing them selves lastly by name seemed to be in vein with the whole chance meeting. "You two… just make sure to look out for each other ok? I hope I'll see you around."

She said waved them off as the group moved to the main doors, and she was motioned to a group of Transgenics near by…

**X\X/X**

* * *

**X\X/X**

Within minutes she was stalking through the corridors of what could only be described as a holding room... (it was built like a strong room) there reason she was there? There had been a power struggle, Manticore style. So she had been called.

The location was close enough to other key locations to make it useful… but slightly out of the way… being the research district it was developing into… Terminal City had many little interesting quirks… but at that moment, Max couldn't give a damn about the 'quirks' of the city because at that moment she was quietly simmering…_there was __**always**__ a transgenic, _she thought to herself,_ one dumb ass transgenic that'd decided that it wasn't enough that the world was against them, and had taken it onto themselves to cause chaos with Terminal city as well…_

An anomaly let her into the room. She entered and eyed the totalled room. An X-series guarding this side of the door… and another anomaly sat in the centre of the room, fuming. …but she hadn't been told the person being held was a young person. …it was hard to tell exactly how old this female was… but Max guessed that she was only around 15 years old…

x-x-x

She sat in the chair opposite the girl... it was a few minutes before the girl had gotten tired of her one sided charged staring contest.

"What did you think you were doing?" she questioned her voice, clear and her expression dark.

"What is it to you?" the girl spat. Her eyes slit, and her hair looking as if it would rise on end like her feline relatives.

"If you're in TC it makes it my business." Max replied sharply.

"And who the fuck are you?" the girl snapped back.

"I'm Max."

"…452." The girl muttered, after a while.

Max said nothing, she knew of the connotations that her name had within TC, and so she waited, noticing the lack of immediate hostile confrontation.

"What did you think you were doing?" Max continued, "Starting numerous fights and even attacking your _own_ unit mates?" she paused "We don't tolerate that kind of behaviour here. _Who_ do you think we're supposed to be looking out for? We've got enough to deal with without people trying to take out their own! I don't know what's going on with you," she said quietly aware of the person in the background "but the biggest mistake you can make right now is to be lulled into a false sense of security - we haven't got time for distractions and we haven't got the time or resources to be dealing th-"

There was a knock at the door, splitting Max's attention…

"Then let me go!" the girl burst out burst out, her violet eyes wild.

"What?" Max asked again in disbelief … _of course she had heard…_

x-x-x

"Max." Came the voice of the X-5 guard from behind her

Max nodded her head "ok." She called back… his shift was finished another transgenic was waiting outside.

Ty got up and exchanged some words with the person out side… outside; the low tones seemed familiar…

"I just want to get out of here. I want out of Terminal City." The girl said again.

"Nyx…" Max started

"658," came the short reply

"Do you know what leaving TC means?" Max ground out, and the girl nodded stiffly, it would have been believable if Max hadn't have seen the lick of fear, tearing its way through the transhuman.

"Of course" the girl replied calmly. _Outside of Terminal city, she didn't stand a chance. They both knew it… their enemies were widening their perusal methods; it was only a matter of time before they started setting up in the sewers…_ Max studied the girl closely. She had reportedly wanted nothing more to do with the unit she had come into the city with… and she wanted to leave TC completely. Her unit members had all attempted, and failed to control her explosive temper and unpredictable actions… They were trying, to save her from herself, but she wasn't easy to get through to…

"What are you running from?" she said suddenly, momentarily wiping the composed look from the girl face

"What would make you turn your back on the people who've busted their backs in getting you here?" The girl was silent. "Do you hate your unit members that much?"

She paused and looked away. "I want nothing more to do with them or _your _kind." she added in disgust… but Max could hear regret under everything, and in the expression in her eyes when ever her unit was mentioned.

"I just want to get ou-"

"Shut up." Max snapped finally. "And calm down. You're not making _any _decisions when you're so _obviously _worked up."

x-x-x

Her mind was working in over load… _they couldn't keep anyone from leaving TC, if it was a Transgenics choice, mostly nothing could dissuade them from it…_ she shook her head, _what could she do now?_

Her head turned partially in recognition… _no wonder the kid had stopped acting up… with both 452 and 494 sitting in on her ranting session… one would be inclined to calm down…_but there was one thing she could tell her, one thing that could help…

She squared her shoulders, and decided to take advantage of the silence.

"Just what are you trying to do?" she repeated "What is a unit to you, isn't it like family?" _the girls_ _unit had come to her for help…_ "Haven't they supported you, kept you going?"

The girl in question only bared her sharp teeth at her… but strangely, Max realised, that there was no protest to what she was saying, at all… although she realised that the situation was far from fully diffused…

She ignored the presence behind her, and began…

"I could handle _anything_ if I knew my unit were standing there behind me..."

**X\X/X**

* * *

**X\X/X**

By the time she and Alec had left Nyx; the left the north east sector in complete silence, and the sky was darkening… they walked back to their sector without saying a word.

…Alec had _had never heard her talking so much about her unit before, the most he had ever heard about her past had been in that one exposed moment when, she had confided in him with the truth about Ben, and his death… but yet today she had revealed another part of herself… although it was probably very painful to bring up… she did so for the sake of helping out another person… that was just the type of person that Max was._

When they reached the command centre they split up and went in different directions… Max making her was to her 'office' got called over to the far side of the room.

"…Max! We got Logan's on screen!"

Turning around and walking sedately to its direction the only thing that Max could clearly say she felt like was drained… She stared at the screen a few minutes, watching him front a point that the camera couldn't pick up, she had seen the change in him when her name had been uttered, the subtle way he schooled his features, and once again adopted the cool façade he favoured… it could never be neutral when he looked at her…

x-x-x

"Logan," she said lightly.

"Hey Max, how've you been doing?" he asked,

"As well as can be expected," she said nodding. _No, I suddenly feel like crying…_

"Max?" He asked unsure…

_There were times when she wondered if she could ever do enough for these people who depended on her…_ she glanced at the screen… _people who cared for her…_

"Supplies are running a bit low, but we're managing." She said after hesitating slightly, as if she had first intended to say something else… and there, the appropriate distance was between them, the conversation right back to where it belonged, impersonal and light.

"That's good to hear." He answered and they both smiled.

"Max." Came a familiar voice from behind her,

"Gem?" Max replied partially turning around, allowing the camera to see Gem holding a baby that _definitely _wasn't Eva…

x-x-x

Max's throat ran dry, _she had forgotten it was the day of the first small scale relocation, mothers and babies were being moved into more habitable (and safer) areas… they had agreed that Gem would bring Luca, and Max would finish early that day and take him home… _

Luca saw Max and laughed in recognition… he reached out to her…

Gem noticed Logan on screen.

Logan leaned to the side to take in the new people on screen.

"I uh," said Max, glancing from the screen and to the baby.

Then suddenly another voice boomed out: "Max!"

"What!" she snapped turning around. Seeing Transgenics were jumping to the screens and computers beeping ferociously…

"Security breech." Came the grim reply.

x-x-x

The trio around the computer were silent,

It only took a few seconds before she burst into action…_ this is what they had been waiting for right? _

"Where are the guards?" she said leaning over the railing.

"Holding off the attack" someone said immediately

"Max?" came Logan's panicked voice.

"And the back up team?" she said, eyes towards another person

"On their way-" came the other reply. "Priority one. Send it out." She called out.

Max turned "Gem stay here…" she paused, "Eva?" she said softly

Gem nodded "She's safe." Max squeezed her hand.

"Logan, later."

Logan watched grimly as Max span away from him, following her movements until she had disappeared from the view of the camera

It looked chaotic, but whatever it was it was a well oiled machine… there was absolute concentration and even from where he sat, Logan could feel the intense atmosphere permeating through his computer… _this is what they've been waiting for isn't it?_

x-x-x

He smothered a tired hand across his face, and glanced back up at the screen, he saw the not too distant figure glancing at the screen in uncertainly "Gem?" He said. Blinking at the woman… it _was_ Gem. "Hey… how have you been?"

Gem blinked back

The command centre had thinned out considerably, there was a dozen or so people left, diligently working on communications

She smiled at him, not forgetting the role he had played in helping them escape Jam Pony the night she had given birth to her child. She nodded, "as well as can be expected."

"Security breech… are you going to be alright there?"

"We've been over dozens of emergency drills, and the command centres as safe a place as any" Gem ended at a loss for words.

"Gem," Joshua said appearing by her side, her heart jumped

"Where's Eva?"

Logan looked up.

Joshua pointed to the door, where in the distance a collection of females were standing with their bags and bouncing their babies, in the electric air.

The computer screen blinked

Eva was being held by another Transgenic, her hand shoved was shoved in her mouth, and she looked like she was half asleep. Gem let out the painful breath she had been holding. Joshua shook his head and gave her a little smile, "had to take cover, double back, she said it was the safest place." Gem nodded.

The static cleared on Logan's computer… _why did the signal always do that?_

"Look, Eva is fine." Joshua said patting her head in reassurance Gem nodded.

"…but isn't that Eva"

Joshua's face loomed before the screen, "Logan?" he then turned to glance behind him, to where Gem held Luca.

x-x-x

Joshua leaned back and suddenly, another face appeared up before the screen. "This conversation needs to end. Now."

Logan blinked _trying to place the face, and abrupt mannerism… _"Yan was it?"

The woman nodded her head curtly, "we have not got the time or resources-"

"Logan, we're gonna need that computer buddy." Said Dix suddenly popping up as well; crossing wires and already starting the disconnection process…

"Yeah, no problem… and… good luck."

Dix paused and looked up at the screen; coming out of his electronics induced fog he flashed the screen a brief smile. "Thanks buddy." He said shortly.

The screen went blank, Dix rebooted onto a new program

"That was too close for comfort." Mumbled Gem,

"You can say that again." muttered Yan

Joshua grunted in agreement… after a few beats Gem and Joshua turned to stare at Yan.

"The conversation was obviously going to drag on, and we needed that space." Said Yan moving to the door way, gesturing for the Transgenics by the door to follow her, they were still on alert…

"…he calls too much anyway" Yan muttered and Gem smirked and quickly joined up to the group

* * *

The security breech had turned out to be the culmination of the tensions between the military and civilians regarding the 'transgenic situation.' No hostages had been taken and miraculously no ground had been lost, but it bumped up the madness surrounding them. It was impossible to even imagine a long term siege and they had been there for months already… and there was only so much black market, connections could get for such a large amount of people…

The following night Max and Alec had been met by some of Nyx's unit mates… because despite the efforts put forward, Nyx had managed to leave Terminal City in all the chaos that that had taken place the previous day. The shadowed faces of the people who had relayed the message stayed in Max's mind… there was no blame of her, no resentment for not managing to convince Nyx to stay there… with her family...

Theirs were the faces which were plagued by the knowledge that a loved one had left, and nobody had the ability to stop from leaving, or what had driven them away…

When they had left Max made straight for the nearest roof, and Alec, trailed after her. _Did she… want to talk?_ He asked himself,_ she's stayed pretty much quiet since she had heard the news about Nyx…_ actually Alec hadn't actually seen her in such a peculiar mood for a long time…

Max made her way to the edge of the roof and stood staring into the distance… she could see the barricade in the distance. Alec hung back

After a few minutes of waiting… and no word from her, he decided that he'd read the situation wrong after all. After all, maybe it was just apart of not really understanding her after all…

"Alec," she called out in a strange tone, "tell me about… Manticore."

He stopped walking and turned to fully face her.

_Had he heard her right?_

**/X\X/X\**

* * *

**/X\X/X\**

(A/N2 in the last chapter I said the argument between Max and Alec took place in Joshua's apartment, it wasn't sorry it was in theirs.)

x-x-x

(A/N3 Never ever let a sibling sit in during your moments of inspiration, or let them convince you to read aloud your story… confidence destroyer… but I've decided that as this is my first fic, I will just let things play out if it turns out to be a complete, I'll have the experience to take it apart and put it back together again and make it great. So sorry if this chapter is not up to scratch)

x-x-x

(A/N4 Sorry, there are a lot of author notes, this chapter has taken so long to be put up and I'd like to say once again how sorry I am, that it is so late… but let it be known that I will be refreshing the previous chapters in near the future, there are little mistakes that glare at me every time I go over them… (It will not be quite so near future if you're going by my update rates these days). Going over my stories I've realised that sometimes they need a bit of polishing off… maybe there needs to be a general word per chapter thing, with summaries and previews… (Maybe I've had too much time to think things over… I've even though about merging Revelations and 946 to become A revelation in 946… but I'm not sure if it will take something away from the beginning. ).

* * *

**/X\X/X\**


	13. Sharing

**x-x-x **

_**Summary**__: In the midst of Terminal City's siege, where Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be and the coming days seem darker, Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed ever possible… a baby _

**x-x-x **

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the characters, or Dark Angel itself. If I did I would be laughing maniacally on the empire of my billions, at Fox studios – who could never shut me down - my head would be gigantic because of all of the love from the millions of fans who also knew that it would be a sick (physically and mentally thing to do) to axe a series which still possesses so much potential. _I_, am here, as only a fan fiction authoress.

**x-x-x**

_**In the previous chapter**__The security breech had been a reaction to the 'transgenic situation', no hostages had been taken, and miraculously - no ground had been lost... but served to bump up the madness surrounding them… the following night Nyx's unit mates informed them that Nyx had left TC in all of the chaos... as soon as she was hassle free, Max made straight for the roof with Alec trailing after her x-x-x He wondered if she wanted to talk... since hearing about Nyx she hadn't uttered a word... from her point on the roof Max could see the barricade of around Terminal City... after a few minutes of waiting, and hearing no word from her Alec decided that he'd read the situation wrong after all, and she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts... x-x-x "Alec." She called out, her voice sharp against the dusk. "Tell me about… Manticore."...he stopped walking, turning fully around to face her... Had he heard her right? _

**x-x-x **

**A/N1 – **Many thanks to all readers, reviewers and all who sent messages for me to hurry the hell up and post. The gap between updates was due to a sudden and severe case of: lack of self confidence... but thank God I'm over it now – deciding to stop moping and get on with it. With my fics as I'v said: I'll be paying the most attention to Broken World because I want to finish it first.

Anyway I think every body's waited long enough for this update:

**x-x-x **

**x-x-x **

**Sharing**

A distant hover-drone's route hitched as it stopped short of TC. Rotated and then returned to the direction it had come from...

Max stared into the ambiguous night sky. Stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets and let out an aggravated sigh...

_It was something that she'd been aware of a long time ago. Although the words had never made their way past her lips... She __knew__ she'd never really, be able to understand what had gone down at Manticore after the escape. Unconsciously never allowing herself to dwell on the aftermath, of their pursuit of freedom... happiness._

_The closest she'd gotten, to finding out about the past previously - had been in the short angry exchange she'd had with Jace. One of her Manticore unit who had not escaped that chaotic night._

_...It had been such emotionally laden confrontation... with so much to be addressed - that so much had been left unsaid. Neither of the sisters had been ready - after being thrown together so suddenly, to even __**attempt**__ to approach the void caused by years of separation. At that time, __with Jace still entrapped in Manticore. Max knew Jace was unwilling (to say the least), to listen to any words the sister - or rather 'traitor' who had 'abandoned' her; would have tried to appeal to her with. Even after the discovery of Jace's (unauthorised) pregnancy, Jace for duty, was willing to walk with childlike blindness into the certain inferno that would have awaited her back at Manticore_

_...Understanding was eventually grasped by the sisters. They evaded the trap Maticore had set out for them and escaped; b__y trusting and protecting one another, as freely and lovingly as the children they had formally been. Ironically, the day in which Max had truly found her sister again, was the day she had to let her go. Running in true transgenic style. Time, fate, or whatever higher up that felt it had an ultimate say in their lives. Had decided, once again that there was never any time for long catch up sessions... especially for them._

"Are you _sure_ you want to know about it?" Alec grated, his harsh tone of voice jarring her back into the present.

Max stared at him in silence but his expression was unreadable as he studied her gravely. Silence had stolen over the rooftops... and it seemed to grow strangely agitated as it was drawn out.

Alec, drew in a short breath. _She wanted to know what happened after the 09 escape?_ He asked himself in disbelief. _She'd never asked before... what the hell was driving her to do so now? _Absently he motioned as if to step forward, but then seemed to change his mind._ ...There would be things she wouldn't be aware of... _his thoughts whirred on. _Like in the council meeting... was that the catalyst of this sudden probing? ...Or maybe the catastrophe with Nyx that had blown everything out of the water? Damn it! They didn't need people digging up things that should best be left buried… even if that person was Max!_

"I not sure. Maybe I heard you wrong" he said in a cold voice.

Max's eyes flashed, "And maybe you didn't. But you just don't want to tell me about it." She snapped back.

Alec smiled humourlessly... _well; at least their sharp, stark, tennis-like banter was back to normal... _But soon Alec's tight smile morphed into a scowl as he turned to stalk away to the other side of the rooftop. Instantlly her hand flashed out to grab onto him... to stop him from walking away.

Her dark eyes sparked. _Did he think she didn't have the right to ask these questions? _Max fumed ..._was that it? _

She was so taken aback to the conclusion she arrived to, she almost didn't know how to handle the rage that was boiling up inside of her. She almost couldn't summon the will to maintain it.

..._ No matter what had happened over the years, despite fleeting doubts… she had never, __**ever**__ regretted escaping from Manticore that night. If it hadn't been for the escape, there would be no Max; she wouldn't be the person she was. She had accomplished it by putting her complete trust in her family, in their dream, - putting her very life on the line… _

_If ever she was the soldier she was created to be, it was at that moment. Fighting for what she believed in, fighting for freedom, for the right and for hope._

_She had to know._

x-x-x

...But looking at Alec, she realised that her chances were running out. It was pain; pain and fear that had created the distance between herself and other Transgenics. She couldn't afford to let trivial issues to stand in her way. Especially when so many depended on her... she was already riddled with faults, but she was just no leader if hesitation was forever taking a hold of her.

Max squared her shoulders. _She would not be denied, she wanted to the truth. ...Although she knew full well, that getting what was needed in life sometimes required a sacrifice._

"Tell me... about Manticore." She repeated. Surprised to find her voice fading into nothingness... but then again, it was funny how fear didn't always disappear when you told it to. "I've always wondered... about - what happened after the escape." ..._What happened to the others..._

Alec wasn't looking at her, and so hadn't seen her wince. His eyes closed... _so she's finally asked. _was his only thought... echoing in the darkness within him... Her voice was clear in the stillness. Despite the lack of volume - the simple statement was understood. Their eyes clashed when he finally decided to turn to her. Her hand fell to her side, forgetting in her panic that she clutched at his arm.

It wasn't a surprise. Although he didn't often dwell on it... he knew she would have wanted to know more about the past. There'd be information Max wouldn't have had access to ...things which would have been widely known to the majority trapped in Manticore after the escape of her unit. It was an inescapable fact: there would be situations she wouldn't be able to grasp – like in the council meeting. Ten years was a long time... a lifetime even. So how the hell did she expect him to explain how deep their 'betrayal' ran... the horrific ramifications? Alec firmly believed that certain things shouldn't be unearthed.

...however looking at Max's expression Alec froze - feeling chilled. Her emotions were so clear to read... the motion itself was like an act of open defiance to what they'd been 'taught' to be... intrinsically wrong. It was one of the most unnerving moments of his life. _Was she aware, she was leaving herself open to attack? Emotions only served to betray – didn't they? _Even in their current situation... where the conversation was likely to blow up in their faces at any given moment, _she was willing to show him this?_ _This, where_ _it was almost like she was allowing him to look into her very so- _

Alec stifled a strangled sound... so badly he wanted to turn away, but something was holding him back. It shook him to realise, that it was because _he didn't want the tentative motion towards a serious conversation. To crash and burn like so many potential others, had between them... because of indecisiveness, because of fear... Here was Max. Taking the initiative - making the effort... _

The seconds rolled by... but just before her eyes took on the guarded look they usually adopted, his voice cut through the silence...

He leant against the railing of the roof. It was perilously weak and creaky... but he couldn't summon up the emotion to care about it. He needed some sort of a distraction... and besides... he'd always have his balance. He was feeling reckless... especially in the face of what he was about to divulge to Max. He didn't know where to start... so he decided he might as well start at the beginning ... as much as he knew about it.

"Twins or clones were separated at birth, and kept in separate units." He stared off blandly, staring out to the city. "Some units were compromised solely of copies... _they_ were kept at completely separate bases: Wyoming, Seattle..."

Max heard rather than saw the humourless smile in his words

"Needless to say this information was... classified."

_With idle fascination Max wondered how Alec had even got a hold of such information in the first place. 'Stumbling' across something (as Alec made it sound), that was 'classified' in Manticore terms was nothing less than suicide... _She briefly reflected on her own past... _they had never known where they came from, their handlers had made it seem as if they were never born at all - but rather a product of inspired teamwork..._

"After the escape my unit was dissolved." He continued, all traces of false humour bled from his voice, "...but then again - so were many others." He shrugged, catching the horrified look on her face...

_It was unimaginable, _she thought. _Whole units being... dissolved? _She stared at him grimly, _how could anyone survive in that place without a unit? _

"All new units that had 09 clones were assigned to them were... monitored." Max repressed a shiver. Dwelling on for the first in a long time, of the horrors the others were subjected to.

"It was imperative they ensured that rebellious thoughts were not genetic…" Alec continued, as if relaying something he had heard thousands of times "amongst other things." He muttered darkly, "shortly after the psy-ops units were introduced."

Suddenly Max had an all too clear memory of her own clone staring at Alec in disbelief ashe had defended her... and then Sam's words:_ "bet you never once thought about how it would be for the rest of us. They wanted to make sure it would never happen again so they **tightened the leash**. We got the worst of it your twins... while you were out there living the dream we paid the price..." _Max didn't - couldn't even begin to imagine what methods they had used to _tighten the leash, _to discipline the units they feared would indanger their sick intentions.

...She wasn't even sure is she had any more courage to listen to the rest of what she'd demanded to hear...

"After the escape, things got a lot worse for everybody. " Alec lapsed into silence, "you could say that the rest of the units were just a _little _bit resentful." He added with a sarcastic smile - which when reminded of the situation promptly turned into a grimace. _The subject was just __too volatile without having... **some **sort of emotion leaking into it..._

Quietly, came to lean a little way away from him on the railing.

"It didn't take long for people to figure out that the only way to protect themselves was to demonstrate complete loyalty to Manticore..." he paused. "I don't remember much of that time, and I don't want to." He said simply. "Missions... became all consuming ventures. To fail a mission, would have meant death."

He paused as if considering something. "Honestly, I can't really say what it was like for the transhumans. The X-series was put under a heavy amount of scrutiny and examinations. For the anomalies... it probably just cemented the belief that they were beyond sub-human. Probably the appearance of what _we_ were on the inside."

Shifting from the position he had held for so long, Alec turned and walked towards to door - but stopped before passing through it. "It took a hell of a lot of time before we got to how we are now. At that time, whatever allegiances that were held between... prototypes what ever series were all but destroyed."

"Survival of the fittest." He said lastly, as Max's eyes darkened in response. Remembering an identical face to his - with similar words - choking her with the darkness that surrounded them. "If one could not defend them self - and therefore defend Manticore. Or act as they were expected... they did not survive long. There was a total loss of over twenty-five prototypes - there was no pattern - _all _the series were elegible for... under 'evaluation'." His tagged on grimly from the shadowy staircase.

Max eyes widened... _every single __unit... soildier,__ was worth millions of dollars, and decades of research... __Manticore had...__ **disposed **of a platoon of healthy soldiers? _

Max's horrified eyes went to Alec, but he had already disappeared down the dark staircase.

**/X\X/X\ **

**/X\X/X\**

The following morning, more than 900 miles away... an old country house was just stirring awake...

Jayne wandered around her room, her hair damp from the shower, skin rosy and fragrant. She smiled at the photo of the matronly woman proudly holding two small girls to her. Jayne's hands trailed over a sturdy old desk... she whistled while braiding her hair and stared around the room. Recalling stories of her being 'born in that very attic'... Throwing on the first thing she could find, she also absently thought of the doorframe near the backdoor - where their names and heights were still marked there... Gran had been sentimental like that.

Jayne sighed, it had been quite a few months since her death... but even thought that sometimes, if she concentrated hard enough, she could still hear the old sweetheart puttering around down there...

When she had almost finished getting ready for the day, she gazed through the window watching Machel playing with a ball. Her nephew was very much like her sister. Although he was a bit... unusual. She glanced at the boy covertly... really, the family resemblance was staggering... butit was almost as if there was no trace of his father to be found in him at all. Her heart twisted painfully at the thought of her late sister and the man she had decided to sever her family ties for.

She sighed, putting on her boots... _her family were dropping around her like flies... she could remember it like yesterday... when she had first met the little girl, her sister Wendy. Her grey eyes staring at her defiantly from the backdoor, her small fingers clutching their mother's firm but trembling hand... _Sighing again, Jayne wondered why her thoughts were so nostalgic. One of the dogs was barking... probably welcoming Ida back as she brought the washing from the back...

Her brows furrowed as she watched Machel shoot the woman an openly hostile glare, but smiled as Ida threw him her characteristic cool one in return. Watching Ida, she felt there was something about the woman that reminded her of Rhea... but she had no idea what that _something _was. _The two women were so different... _

Ida's mother had been laid to rest in the cemetery a few miles away, not far from the stream she had loved so much. She had been a soft spoken woman – whom after being taken in by Jayne's Grandmother had returned the favour by falling in the role of housekeeper – not emerging from the position until her death – many years after the death of her friend. ...Jayne wondered why Ida still hung around. She grew up at the old house, as she had done - but Jayne was aware that the other woman possessed somewhat of a restless spirit. Even if she were to be losing a friend, she would understand if one day Ida did not return from one of her wonderings. Jayne wanted the spark and determination, that Ida held but hid so effortlessly, to not be buried within their sleepy town.

x-x-x

Her boots were heard before she was, as she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning Machel." she said, ruffling the boy's hair as she passed by. Already halfway to the fridge when he finally looking up.

"Ray." Was his instant reply, as he smoothed his hair back to how it was _before she'd messed it up._

Ida snorted at his reply as she folded clothes, in the corner.

"You are such a stubborn boy" Jayne said softly, shaking her head. "Hey, want some ice cream?" she asked.

"For breakfast?"

"Sure why not?" she replied puzzled, her wavering at the freezer. _Did kids not like ice-cream anymore?_ "Did'ya want something else? What do you fancy pizza?"

"What is _wrong_ with you?" was the boy's irritated reply, putting down his gameboy.

"You sound just like your mother." She said after a moments consideration, "but then again - she was always more of a toast woman... always sticking to what was boring - normal..." _well after what we grew up in... I can't really blame her..._

"Hey!" she said after a minute noticing that he was about to leave the room. "Why aren't you at school?" she said with an eyebrow raised.

"Didn't feel like it" was the muttered response.

"You little punk." She said lowering her raised eyebrow... _actually it was **always** the right eyebrow... she couldn't do the left... she had spent all that time imitating The Rock (the pre-pulse wrestler)... but had never considered practicing with the other eyebrow as well... she sighed. Now, all that happened when she tried to raise the left independently was a strange caterpillar like wiggle..._

She snapped herself out of her thoughts quickly, and she glancedat her nephew's unimpressed face. "You are _so_ lucky we're practically snowed in or I would throw you out on your... toosh."

Ida glanced at the sparse patches of frost that layered the grass outside and rolled her eyes.

"Jayne." She called out, the folded clothes in a basket. Ida held her coat and was jerking her head in the direction of the door. After recieved the 'OK' from Jayne she left without a sound.

Shortly after Ida had returned from one of her 'spur of the moment' journeys, an uncle of hers had appeared on the scene. 'The old man needs looking after' Ida had told Jayne.So every now and then, Ida would go and visit him for a few hours. Actually Jayne was yet to meet the reclusive old man.

Shrugging Jayne turned back to her nephew.

"As long as you've got your algebra done, I don't care what you do." She started, "but you're helping me fix that truck in the back," she said,immediately forgetting about breakfast.

Noticing he was already trailing behind her. "You're going to school tomorrow no excuses," she added, knowing he'd be rolling his eyes. "Even if the snow is yey high, I tell you." she continued, motioning to a height that would be just above his head...

Half an hour later they were listening to the radio... and her tuneless accompaniment. Jayne was happily, halfway emerged in the truck, and was waving at him for some oil.

"Aunt Jayne," he said in a tone of voice that made her realise that the oil was not coming any time soon.

"Mac." She replied in a resolved tone of voice, straightening up and wiping her hands on a nearby rag.

"I want my Dad."

Her hands froze mid-wipe. "Oh Ray," she whispered, staring at the little boy in front of her. She shook her head slightly as if she were clearing it "come here darlin," she breathed, holding out her arms...

...His hard maintained resolve broke in an instant. "It's ok sweetie." She said patting him on the back.

The woman – his aunt had the same eyes and tone of voice as his mother, it was... disarming. Angrily Ray wiped away tears, and she held him from her to study his face... he hiccupped in mortification as she wiped away a stray tear as well...

"Do you want some beer?" she asked.

He sniffed and looked at her reproachfully.

"I mean... Root Beer?" She questioned. "Is that not your thing? So do you want some cookies instead?" asked softly steering him back into the house.

"I'm not a child" he said indignantly "... but if you're asking I could go for a cocoa-moo." "On the rocks" he added after a minute

Jayne chuckled, but the end of the laugh was tinted with hollowness_... Ames... after all that has happened the boy __really does just want his father..._

She had been surprised when returning home from a trip, she found her Grandmother putting her nephew to sleep, amessage from... _that woman_, and then later hearing (with a stiff drink). That her baby sister was dead... murdered.

There had been no contact between them and the familyher half sister had made for herself. Wendy had wanted normality, and for it, she was willing to sacrifice her past.

Jayne could still feel the shock that had coursed through her. Realising the enormity of Ames' betrayal -towards what had once been her open faced, trusting andsweet little sister. Jayne couldeven still recall the sombre bespeckled, blue eyes of the man who had delivered the news...

...but Jayne had known. In the first and last instance she had met Ames White. She had known - that he held too many secrets in his dark eyes. That split moment of realisation, prompted her tosearch her Grandmother's expression, and noting with the almost inperceptable ques the old lady betrayed, that she had also sensed the same thing.

**/X\X/X\ **

**/X\X/X\**

Back in Seattle a few days after Alec's revelation, the uneasy atmosphere that had surrounded Max and Alec's truce had all but dissipated. The two soon found themselves on the cusp of friendship once again.

The calender denoted it was time for warm rain... soon that lazy afternoon, they sat in the apartment. Somehow free - for the time being - from the general frenzy of the rest of T.C. A news reporter droned on in the background... honestly, it was rare another 'crisis'had developedbesides the one they were entrapped in...

Alec was quiet, he was considering... Max.

_He had always wondered about **it.** ...It was, after all -an elusive thing within Manticore. _

_Nobody spoke of it... it was merely alluded to. Discouraged against by unbelievably persuasive methods; because it was the one thing Manticore could not predict or control_. _Therefore, to Manticore logic the 09 escape, naturally represented everything Manticore stood against; s__o much so, that within the units themselves there was little difference in thought. In fact, t__he 09 escapee's wer spoken of even less than in the faculty and'management.'_

_...Their escape was something those left behindwere afraid to hope for -and were sickened to find them-selves aspiring to. After all, how could one allow them self to become the very thing that had caused the deaths of numerous unit members and comrades? That which had destroyed many a will, and mind?_

"So why _did_ you? Escape." He tagged on, with his eyes on the screen.

Max stilled, and caught -despite how fast he hid it, the expression that had crept onto his face. Hearing how he'd bitten out the words, as if he were forcibly holding them back... like it was almost too painful to ask.

His eyes flickered behind his expressionless face, and it was then that Max she had realised. After all the time they'd known one another. He had never _once_willingly asked her about the escape. When the topic came up, he would release a succession of sharp sarcastic statements in a hard tone of voice -one sugared with a (false) shade of amusement... She didn't know whether it was relief, or gratefulness that suddenly took a hold of her. But she had never explained her actions to another solider from Manticore... never got to explain _why_.

"Things were getting bad," she said slowly. Frowning as unwanted images – unrepressed forced their way before her eyes. "Seizures." She said simply, watching ashis headbowed in acknowledgement and remembrance of the losses suffered in the early units. "They were ripping through our unit…" she said quietly "but we could handle it." She said firmly, as if still caught up in their childish resolve...

Suddenly Max couldn't sit still. She walked to a window "but more of my unit were being taken... being cut open…" she said breaking off abruptly …_and I couldn't control the level of my seizures any longer... _"Zack took command." She said with a tired pride... or maybe a tired gratitude. "He said there would be no more deaths…no more..." her wavering voice continued "it was an order..." she added tapering off.

_An order? Alec somehow felt there was an irony in that fact. Manticore had driven 'duty, discipline and mission' into all soldiers, qualities that they must display at all times. ... and in a twisted way it was justice that the loyalty and obedience Manticore they had craved resulted in their soldiers going AWOL. Loyalty and obediancewas channelled into the units themselves – the families they created. _

...It was strange being in the roomjustthe two of them. The rain drumming on the windows, the wind throwing itself against the sturdy buildings... as a result it feltlike they were encased in a bubble like world. So they listened for a while.

"And after the escape?" Alec prompted curiously, and almost cautiously.

Max seemed to wake from a dream... "I was immediately separated from my unit." It seemed like she was struggling in keeping her face neutral. Inside her heart still felt the fear and pain that had gripped her at that moment when she had resurfaced from under the ice...when she had known with every ragged breath she took that for the for the first time in her life she was **truly** alone. "After that it was…" _I don't know... daunting, terrifying, it made no sense at all... it was _"Absolutely crazy." She decided on lastly. Max glanced at him.

She'd noticed they'd been finding themselves in these kinds of situations, more and more over the passing weeks. It was getting easier to talk to him. She didn't have to say everything - just like he didn't have to tell her everything, but they'd say what they could, and wait till they ready to divulge some more…

"After that I got myself into a sorta foster home." She said raising her knees so she could rest against them. "It was… messed up. The dad was abusive and the rest of the family lived in fear." She blinked hard and shrugged "but, it was freedom. I didn't know anything else..."

"...I split when the pulse hit..." _of course the guilt of bailing still brings on nightmares. _"I met all sorts of people, did some things that I'm not very proud of."

..._Who doesn't?_ Was the echoed voice

"But at least it was _me_ doing it, you know?"

He nodded in understanding. _Not somebody pulling the strings from the background… _

She suddenly laughed out loud. Meeting Alec's bemused expression head on. "I didn't get why we escaped until I was out of there… in the real world." _Because it was almost addictive... the freedom, _she lapsed into silence.

He raised his brows.

"But it wasn't until Seattle" she continued, "that I found something I felt was worth holding on to. Made up for the crappy life I'd been living – it was where I found friends that were worthy of being like family."

She told him a little more. Like her first impression of the broken world as a free girl... and then meeting OC years later...

Not so much later, when leaving his shift Alec walked out into the shadow and shade as the clouds withheld their water... when the rain had stopped its soft pounding on the windows the secretive mood within the room had dispersed. Their sharing had been cut short.

A droplet landed on his nose, Alec put his collar up. The weather was ridiculous... but there was a crispness in the air he favoured after rainfall. He smiled as the temperamental clouds once again began to shift in motion, followed by drizzle.

Alec laughed, feeling... lighter. _Strange_ he thought, glancing back at the apartment, _weren't cats supposed to hate the rain?_

**/X\X/X\ **

**/X\X/X\**

_(A/N2 I think Root Beer is the same as Ginger Beer? Well they're both are soft /fizzy drinks that do not contain alcohol. __The cocoa-moo, I got from the cartoon Kim Possible – I have no idea if it exists in real life... or what's in it - besides chocolate and milk, but it sounds absolutely hilarious... and ludicrous so I put it in... I guess having it 'on the rocks' would be with frozen milk cubes... I dunno. _

_Can anybody imagine Ames White slaving away in a hot kitchen to make repeated cocoa-moo's for little Ray (who was terrified of every finished product, Ames trotted out because they looked horrifying?) Lol, somebody please –write a story on it. OK - When I type cookies... I mean cookies. Biscuits that are cookies! Not cookies that are supposed to be biscuits! --- Sorry that was an OriginalBubble culturally induced rant – had to put it in.)_

_(A/N3 Lmao – to anybody who watched Firefly – I thought it was funny that my Jayne had a girl's name, that's a boy's name but altered... sorry everybody. __A/N4 The Rock eye brow wiggle is a true life event. __A/N5 People, I have just stumbled across the 'Bip bip bip - normal fanlisting - I think I'm going to join. LMAO. __A/N6 Ever notice how when you explain writing or reading fanfiction to someone it ends up sounding kinda lame? A/N7 The pissy rain is modelled after the 'lovely' weather here in London.)_

**/X\X/X\ **

**/X\X/X\**


End file.
